Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, on MSNBC - The Trump administration is sending a message to everyone in America: If you dare to disagree with the president, you will be punished.
That was clear when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents illegally arrested and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and recent graduate student at New York’s Columbia University, in retaliation for his advocacy for Palestinian human rights. The federal government separated Khalil from his wife, an American citizen, who is nine months pregnant, and shipped him from New York to New Jersey and then Louisiana. A judge recently ruled his case should be heard in New Jersey.
The Constitution’s right to free speech covers everyone in the U.S., regardless of their citizenship status.
Mr. Khalil has never been accused, charged or convicted of any crime. He was ripped from his home, detained and threatened with deportation in retaliation for his political beliefs. His case represents a clear attempt by the Trump administration to silence dissent, intimidate our universities and attack our freedom.
Khalil is not the only target of this crackdown. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims he’s revoked hundreds of visas of students and visitors for similar reasons.
If this administration is not reined in, the paper-thin legal theory it is using to justify detaining and deporting Mr. Khalil could be wielded to deport anyone who opposes Trump on any issue. That would embolden a president who is already laying siege to academic freedom, the free exchange of ideas and open debate. It would put everyone — citizen and noncitizen alike — in danger.
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