On Saturday, March 8, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested pro-Palestine activist and recent graduate of Columbia University Mahmoud Khalil at his on-campus apartment. Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent, played a prominent role in student demonstrations at Columbia University since the humanitarian crisis in Gaza began in October 2023. In response to Khalil’s arrest, Trump’s framing of pro-Palestine protesters as “un-American” in our opinion, doesn’t justify the deportation of legal immigrants.
According to the Associated Press, an ICE agent justified the arrest to Khalil’s lawyer by stating the act was based on State Department orders to rescind Khalil’s student visa. In response, Khalil’s attorney clarified that the student graduated in December, and has since obtained a permanent green card, which allows him to live and work permanently in the U.S. The ICE agent then stated that Khalil’s green card was being revoked. While the subject of immigration has always been a hot topic among the Trump administration, the focus has always been on undocumented citizens– until now. Given Khalil’s legal status, we wonder where the line is being drawn between acceptable expressions of protest and forms that put individuals at risk of being detained. Not only that, but it is cause to question whether or not this idea of arresting protesters could extend to natural-born citizens.
The day following Khalil’s arrest, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared a statement on X, posting, “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.” We think that Rubio’s post and related rhetoric being spread by the Trump administration is an absolute violation of the Constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, and is discourteous to individuals that have been given even a legal right to live in America.
Tricia McLaughlin, the spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, expanded on Rubio’s point, stating the arrest was “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.” We find one obvious problem with this ideology: being anti-Israel isn’t the same as being antisemitic. Antisemitism is a form of prejudice or discrimination directed toward Jewish individuals or groups, while anti-Israel sentiments are often used to critique the Israeli government and its behavior concerning Palestinian land and people.
Labeling Palestine activists as antisemitic is a portrayal that not only makes pro-Palestine people and organizations appear to have an inaccurately harmful agenda but also impacts the general feeling of safety and security among Jewish individuals worldwide. People protesting for Palestine are, by and large, not a threat to the Jewish community, and are typically pushing for the safety of the individuals living in war zones. However, to make pro-Palestine protesters seem threatening, many turn to instilling fear or anger, and refer to demonstrators as antisemitic in an attempt to rally more people to their cause.
It is also important to note there is a variety of opinions among people who hold pro-Palestine sentiments. While some protesters believe in a two-state solution, others openly support the Palestinian resistance. The Trump administration’s rhetoric surrounding pro-Palestine demonstrators also implies that protesters at large maintain the same personal beliefs.
When it comes to how the Trump administration has framed the actions of pro-Palestine individuals and organizations, we particularly take issue with the term “un-American.” This term is inherently flawed, as American values aren’t a concrete set of ideals that are true for every American citizen. Additionally, we feel the Trump administration, and in a broader sense, the majority of elected officials, have been hypocritical in their assessment of protesters. Officials name protesters as dangerous individuals, ignoring the truth of their own cause, which supports U.S. allyship with Israel.
In just a number of weeks, the longtime party of so-called free speech and limited government has cosigned some of the most authoritarian actions we’ve ever seen from a sitting president. After Trump publicly stated that he and the executive branch “are the federal law,” the administration cannot possibly be in a position to claim or enforce what is or isn’t “un-American.” This push to deport those who are protesting against violence toward the Palestinian people only further highlights the government’s hypocrisy.
Regardless of the way our government is framing the pro-Palestine “agenda,” ultimately demonstrations have been aimed at ending violence against the Palestinian people and expressing upset at our government’s support of the devastation that has occurred thus far. We believe that citizens should feel safe to speak out for what they believe in without the fear of being attacked by their own government. Khalil’s case shows a disturbing pivot away from free speech, one of the United States’ founding values. The bottom line is that Americans should be able to exercise their freedom of speech – in this case, concerning Palestine – without being at risk of deportation.
