Courtesy of Jacobin
On March 8, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at his home. Without a warrant or any criminal charges, ICE agents proceeded to throw him into a car and threatened to arrest Khalil’s eight-month pregnant wife, stating they were following State Department orders.
Khalil’s green card and student visa were revoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and he was thrown into detention in Louisiana. Immigration judge Jamee Comans ruled that Khalil was eligible for deportation due to his presence in the U.S. causing “potentially serious foreign policy consequences.” Even his request for temporary release to witness the birth of his first child was denied.
“I’m disappointed how they treated this man,” said freshman Serena Jabri. “It’s unfortunate because he was trying to promote Palestine and he should be able to do that. If other people are able to support Israel and get no backlash, why should he get reprimanded?”
Comans’ ruling is problematic for multiple reasons. First, what does it mean to pose a threat to foreign policy? Nearly any political statement criticizing the American government can fall under that blanket statement. In this case, Khalil was a head negotiator for Columbia University Apartheid Divest — a student group that attempts to convince Columbia to divest from Israel and calls for a ceasefire in Palestine.
But disagreeing with the government’s decisions should never be a means of incarceration; those living in America, the supposed land of the free, should have every right to criticize politicians and institutions, citizens or not. We are the ones affected by our government’s decisions, and we should be able to criticize it to make our lives better — not because we hate our country, but because we deserve to live here without feeling the guilt of our tax dollars funding the bombings in Palestine and Yemen. We should not apologize for fighting for our rights. We should not be afraid of advocating for the thousands killed by the Israeli government and occupation forces, and Palestinians should not have to audition for mercy. Yet, we remain afraid.
“I know someone who was advocating and protesting for Palestine, and [someone] held a gun to their head for it,” said junior Rama Haddad. “And [that] really affects the way they live their life after that.”
The actions taken by the government throughout this case set an incredibly dangerous precedent for our legal system. It was absolutely unnecessary for Khalil’s case to take place in Louisiana, especially since there is an immigration court in New York, where he lives, and one can rightfully suspect it was moved due to the higher chance the judge would have conservative views. Third, one can not help but wonder if this happened because Mahmoud is Palestinian, and doesn’t share opinions with the current administration. It’s clear that the government is trying to scare anyone with opposing views into silence; this oppression and injustice against Khalil exemplifies that and it is unacceptable. This is not just an attack on the pro-Palestinian movement; it is an issue that can affect immigration and economic welfare.
Further, no evidence was provided by the government — other than Marco Rubio’s memo, which did not cite evidence of, or accuse Mahmoud of any criminal activity, but rather, cited the government power to deport people for beliefs. The memo stated that allowing Khalil to stay in the U.S. would threaten current attempts to combat antisemitism. But supporting the liberation of Palestine, the rightful return of Palestinian land and the end to an occupation is not antisemitic. This has nothing to do with hating people for their ethnic identity, and everything to do with calling to an end of a genocide.
“It’s unfair … to send someone to court … [when there’s] lack of evidence,” Haddad said. “The reasoning of making others feel uncomfortable [is unfair as well] because they didn’t get to question other people’s feelings [towards Khalil]. There needs to be more [understanding of] the other side, instead of just sending someone to a court over assumptions.”
The hypocrisy of the U.S. government, and the bias against Muslims, people of color and pro-Palestinian voices has been made evident, as is the attempt in silencing those voices. This movement will continue to advocate for the release of Khalil, and we will continue to pray to Allah The All-Mighty to release him, grant him patience, give him his due justice and reunite him with his family.
