Congress Must Speak Out on this Threat to All Americans
Washington, D.C. — On Monday, President Donald Trump said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement “proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil” and promised that “[t]his is the first arrest of many to come.” Khalil, a student activist for Palestinian rights at Columbia University and a U.S. green card holder, was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security and is currently being detained by ICE. In his statement, Trump failed to mention any specific crime committed by Khalil, only vaguely saying that he was “Pro-Hamas” and threatening action against “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.” Previously, DHS only said that Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas.” Demand Progress Education Fund is calling on its nearly one million affiliated activists to urge congressional leaders to speak out and demand that Mahmoud Khalil be released immediately.
The following is a statement from Demand Progress Education Fund Senior Policy Adviser Cavan Kharrazian:
“President Trump is threatening all Americans when he promises that the unprecedented arrest of Mahmoud Khalil is ‘the first arrest of many to come.’ Khalil was disappeared by federal agents to a detention facility halfway across the country and we still have not been told why beyond vague attempts to associate him with terrorism. This is a dangerous, politically motivated attack on the First Amendment that could be replicated against any American who engages in speech the Trump administration disapproves of. Every member of Congress should be up in arms right now, loudly and forcefully calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil and working to make sure this never happens again.”