Washington, D.C.— Foreign Policy for America (FP4A) strongly condemns the unlawful arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil by ICE on Saturday. Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was forcibly taken from his home for protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank and calling on Columbia University to divest its endowment from corporations linked to human rights abuses. Immigration authorities allege without evidence that his role in organizing protests at Columbia University constituted “activities aligned with Hamas.”
Almost a week later, Mahmoud has not been charged with a crime and is being held in a detention facility. During a hearing on Wednesday, it was revealed that Khalil has been unable to speak privately with his lawyers since his arrest. His wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, watched in shock as security forces took him away in handcuffs. Both described the experience as feeling like he was “being kidnapped.“
As Americans, we cannot stand by idly as our shared First Amendment right to freedom of speech is attacked. President Trump’s actions are a threat to us all.
“This is the kind of thing dictators do – disappearing their perceived enemies,” said Andrew Albertson, Executive Director of Foreign Policy for America. “Our Constitutional rights aren’t contingent on whether the President likes what you say – that’s not how things work in this country. If the courts don’t put a stop to it now, there’s no question Trump will widen his efforts to snatch and detain other Americans.”
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