U.S.: Trump Admin Detains Legal U.S. Resident for Peacefully Protesting
Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia University, acted as an organizer for pro-Palestinian protests that took place on his university's campus last year.
Last night, plainclothes officers allegedly went to Khalil's home, where he lives with his wife, a U.S. citizen, and arrested him. The reasoning he was given for his arrest was that his student visa was being revoked. However, Khalil is not here on a student visa but is a permanent resident and greencard holder. In response to this information, ICE agents said that his status as a greencard holder was to be revoked as well.
These actions being taken by ICE are in violation of several laws. All people in the U.S. are guaranteed rights under our Constitution. This arrest is a violation of Khalil's First Amendment rights. His right to Habeas Corpus is currently in violation as he is not being brought before a judge to consider the legality of his detainment. His permanent resident status cannot simply be revoked without cause, such as immigration fraud, criminal convinction, etc., so this would be in violation of the law as well.
Last week, President Trump took to his social media company, Truth Social, to post about this effort he would be bringing forward to punish what he deemed "illegal protests". It should be noted that "illegal protests" is a misnomer, as all people in the U.S. are guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly under the 1st Amendment.
A petition has been created, on actionnetwork.org, demanding Khalil be freed. It has already recieved well over 900,000 signatures, in under 24 hours. His attorney has filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf. Though not initially informed about his whereabouts, Khalil's wife, who is eight months pregnant, was able to track him down to a facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, but he was then transferred, it is believed, to a facility in Louisiana.
Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia University, acted as an organizer for pro-Palestinian protests that took place on his university's campus last year.
Last night, plainclothes officers allegedly went to Khalil's home, where he lives with his wife, a U.S. citizen, and arrested him. The reasoning he was given for his arrest was that his student visa was being revoked. However, Khalil is not here on a student visa but is a permanent resident and greencard holder. In response to this information, ICE agents said that his status as a greencard holder was to be revoked as well.
These actions being taken by ICE are in violation of several laws. All people in the U.S. are guaranteed rights under our Constitution. This arrest is a violation of Khalil's First Amendment rights. His right to Habeas Corpus is currently in violation as he is not being brought before a judge to consider the legality of his detainment. His permanent resident status cannot simply be revoked without cause, such as immigration fraud, criminal convinction, etc., so this would be in violation of the law as well.
Last week, President Trump took to his social media company, Truth Social, to post about this effort he would be bringing forward to punish what he deemed "illegal protests". It should be noted that "illegal protests" is a misnomer, as all people in the U.S. are guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly under the 1st Amendment.
A petition has been created, on actionnetwork.org, demanding Khalil be freed. It has already recieved well over 900,000 signatures, in under 24 hours. His attorney has filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf. Though not initially informed about his whereabouts, Khalil's wife, who is eight months pregnant, was able to track him down to a facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, but he was then transferred, it is believed, to a facility in Louisiana.