Written by Chair James O’Keefe with the assistance of others. This statement aligns with our values, but is not yet an official statement by us.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents seized Mahmoud Khalil, an organizer for Palestinian rights and a Columbia University graduate student, on Saturday. Mr. Khalil is an Algerian citizen of Palestinian origin and a American green-card holder. He was sent from New York city to an ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana. Trump plans to illegally strip Mr. Khalil of his green card and deport him.
Mahmoud Khalil must be immediately released and returned to New York so that he can reunite with his wife. Anything less than that is a travesty of his right to free speech and leaves all of us vulnerable to being jailed for speaking our minds.
The United States was founded on the principle that all people have an inherent right to free speech. This is pre-eminently not conservatives’ belief in free speech as shallow memes, but as the ability to discuss and advocate for issues that those in power do not support. It is enshrined in our constitution as our First Amendment.
Yet, our right to free speech has always been contested. American history has seen John Adams’ Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, Woodrow Wilson’s jailing and deportation of anarchists and socialists for opposition to World War I and Banned in Boston. The current belief that the right to free speech applies to everyone is a new one. Apparently, the US Supreme Court feels free to extend that right to include corporations and, thus, foreign corporations, but who thinks they will stand up similarly for Mr. Khalil, even when he has broken no laws forbidding “material support” to terrorists? When you talk to the people the US government deems to be terrorists, it seems, you must be a terrorist, even if you discuss nonviolence.
The White House say they will persecute others who exercise their free speech in ways Trump does not approve. Today, it is those who advocate for justice for Palestinians and against the genocide of Gazans. Tomorrow, it will be our trans brothers and sisters, or people who support aiding Ukraine in resisting Russia’s invasion. Eventually, it could be any of us.
The failure to release Mr. Khalil from ICE detention and return him to his friends and family is unconscionable. Call your federal elected officials now and demand his release! You can find the contact information of your US representative and Senators on our wiki or use this form from Jewish Voice for Peace. If you hear of any protests for Mahmoud Khalil, please participate in them and share details about the protest with us so that we can notify other Pirates.
0 comments on “Free Mahmoud Khalil!”