Student activist detained in the US

[Odras]

I find this a bit chilling. Peaceful protest should always be protected.

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/ice-arrests-palestinian-activist-green-card-columbia-university/story?id=119616144

This situation is terrifying for Americans. There is now no such thing as free speech.

Scary stuff!! I hope he is released and able to return to his wife soon!

It’s not chilling at all, it’s what you get for aiding and abetting a terrorist organization. Would love to see how quickly the Biden or Obama administration would have had him deported if he’d been a British white supremacist organizing KKK rallies on campus. Some facts below.

'Here’s why Mahmoud Khalil will be deported:

1. Legal permanent residents are still aliens subject to 8 USC 1182 and 8 USC 1227, and thus explicitly deportable for any speech expressing support for designated terrorist organizations or statutorily defined “terrorist activities,” as well as deportable for foreign policy grounds at the sole determination of the Secretary of State and/or AG.

These are not crimes, but they don’t have to be. They are removal grounds under 8 USC 1182 and 8 USC 1227. No criminal conviction is required to remove aliens. IF a crime is committed, it can serve as grounds for removal, but no allegation of criminal misconduct is necessary.

1. No due process has been denied. He is entitled to a basic statement that he is being detained and subject to removal proceedings, and he got one, and he’s entitled to a removal hearing before being deported, and he’ll get one.

1. He is not missing. The ICE detention database, available to the public, clearly lists that he is in a detention facility in Louisiana.

1. These actions are not being done in the name of “Jewish safety.” They are being done on the basis of expressing support for terrorism organizations or activities and on foreign policy grounds which is the prerogative of the Secretary of State and/or AG.

1. Separately, though no crime of “material” support of terrorism (or any other crime) is legally necessary to deport an alien, his distribution of pamphlets with Hamas iconography and language is “material” support (yes, producing and distributing documents is considered material support — look it up — just like other forms of “material” support like direct financial assistance).

1. This is an open-and-shut case. At the removal hearing, the government will recite the above, and the judge will affirm that these recitations have been made. On the “foreign policy” grounds of 8 USC 1227 alone, Mahmoud Kahlil is deportable and the government’s declaration that his presence is contrary to foreign policy is non-reviewable. The judge is not entitled to second-guess this; the judge can only require that this invocation be made by the government, and indeed, this invocation will be made.'

@BooToYouHalloween

Protesting against genocide, which many of us witnessed through our phones the past 14 months and have been deeply effected by it, is not aiding and supporting a terrorist organisation. Supporters of the genocide against the Palestinian people are the terrorist supporters. The world knows the truth.

17 months*

I hope so too! As said by the PP freedom of speech has been severely compromised when it comes to standing up for the Palestinians. This is another tactic to shut down pro-Palestinian voices.

He was arrested for 'opposing US foreign policy' imagine if those of us who protested against the Iraq war in the UK were also arrested for opposing the foreign policy in our country. @BooToYouHalloween regardless of your views on Khalil, can you not swe how this is an erosion of democracy.

If the US turn against Ukraine and people oppose it should they also be deported?

@BooToYouHalloween you say his arrest is not done in the name of 'Jewish safety' yet the Whitehouse put out a statement starting with 'Shalom Mahmoud'
Why? It's a pretty disgusting thing to do yet here you are defending it.

The Trump administration is both verbally and physically creating further division between different groups, pitting one against the other. I'm glad to see that many people from many different groups can see past this and have spoken up against the attack on free speech, regardless of their stance on this conflict.

BooToYouHalloween-Any evidence of him "aiding and abetting a terrorist organization"? He hasn't been charged with any crime.

I don’t think he has shown any support for a terrorist organisation has he? Protesting about civilians being bombed in Gaza does not necessarily equal support for Hamas. It’s possible I guess they have something on him regarding this but if so I’ve seen nothing in the media.

I believe a judge has currently paused any deportation so that’s good.

If the US turn against Ukraine and people oppose it should they also be deported?

there have been quite a few pro Ukraine protests in the US recently…remember Zelensky was called a dictator by Trump. Hope none of those protesters are in the US on a green card they could end up detained as well!

I agree. They haven’t publicised anything anyway. I’ll continue to watch with interest but after all Vance’s talk about free speech it seems you are only free to talk to about things they agree with.

Exactly they haven't claimed to have any evidence.

Also as a Muslim, I would be furious if my government used phrases from my religion mockingly or to taunt whilst carrying out their dirty work. I think this quote below sums it up perfectly

Senior Israel Analyst with the International Crisis Group Mairav Zonszein, in reference to a White House post about Khalil, said on X: "The 'Shalom' part is a perfect encapsulation of how antisemitism/Judaism/Israel is weaponised against Muslims/Arabs to cover up for their own antisemitism."

It's more sinister than that. The fact the 3 major announcements by Trump this week have started with "Shalom" (this, the Hamas warning and Columbia funding) is directly aassociating these actions with more than just Israel but with Jewish people in general.

It's something that the people who are so excited (blinded by their need to punish anything/anyone Palestinian) fail to see. Trump's team is either inadvertently or deliberately setting up a group to be blamed for the backlash.

Jesus christ. this man broke in and "occupied" a public building, damaged the property of the university, refusing entry to other students and even prevented a janitor from leaving (ie keeping him hostage). He has committed numerous crimes including breaking and entering, trespassing and expressed support for an organisation deemed to be a terrorist organisation and tried to recruit people to sympathise and support this organisation.

This is not about free speech. this is about a man on a green card (ie not a citizen yet but on the path to becoming one) commiting numerous crimes and expressing support for an organistion seeking the destruction of the USA.

Please stop campaigning for his release. there are much better causes out there.

Did he? If that’s true then obviously he should face criminal charges….i don’t believe he has 🤷‍♀️

Everything I can find on the internet about that incident from the time has him down as a “negotiator” for the group who broke into the building but not actually taking part in the break in himself. The photos from the time he certainly appears to be outside the building. But I’m very open to anything which proves otherwise.

An interesting thread on X, by a parent of a student who’s experienced these “peaceful protests” at their university:

https://x.com/mihaschw/status/1899503908684247457

'we had to move our kids out of the campuses, not just because of the protests and tents and blocking their access to…everywhere in campus - but because of the constant death threats, very dangerous and disgusting physical gestures, shouting and banging on their dorms doors, day and night, stupid and retarded jokes, violating their privacy in the commun bathrooms, fear of having God knows what in their food, because of the kefyieh people serving in their cantina, zvastikas and sick writings on their walls, class dissrupted freestyle, calling them humiliating names while in class and so on.'

The thing about free speech is that it has to work both ways (as long as legal). I can't stand ongoing disruptive protests like this, whether it's about Stop Oil or whatever. I'd rather there was a march and go home. But I get that people are passionate about their cause and will raise publicity how they feel they can.

I don't see any pro Hamas stuff there, just pro Palestine stuff, stop the killing, etc. But I admit I have skim read your links - one in particular is very lengthy and I'm on my phone in my lunch break. Obviously it would have been nice if they'd also condemned the attacks on Israel and said that the hostages should be freed but they're under no obligation to. Anyone who drew swastikas on walls, etc or made threats against other students should be expelled and dealt with by the police.

Funny that Trump et al are so against anyone who was associated with this protest but do nothing to stop the non stop protests outside abortion clinics in the USA. Seems it's OK to protest as long as Trump likes what you're protesting about.

But then the 1st amendment protects free speech doesn't it? Will certainly be interesting to see the conclusion of this.

So just be perfectly clear at the moment they have not articulated any criminal charges against him.

Exactly, Trump has fuc**d up majorly and is receiving major pushback from his base. MAGA is arguing that Democrats used similar authoritarian actions to persecute them over January 6th, Covid Mandates, Hunter Biden Laptop etc. United States of Israel was trending on social media yesterday.

What supporters of authoritarian moves like this often fail to anticipate, is that once a precedent is set like this the next Democrat administration can use the same provisions to target whoever they deemed to be an enemy.

So this is not really about the rights and wrongs of the protests themselves. People who have broken the law should be dealt with within the law. Surely that is something we can all agree on.

At the moment no criminal charges have been articulated against him.

As a pp stated, the law doesn’t require there to be criminal charges. If you support a terrorist organisation you can be deported.