1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, for his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University is an alarming overreach by the government. Peaceful protest and the expression of political views should be protected, not criminalized. Threatening further arrests and deportations of students solely for their political activism sets a dangerous precedent that undermines core democratic values. Revoking his green card without proper legal proceedings would be a clear violation of his rights. This heavy-handed crackdown on campus activism seems politically motivated and intended to chill free speech, particularly speech critical of government policies. Civil rights groups have rightly condemned these actions as McCarthyist and a blatant abuse of immigration law for political purposes. I urge your office to speak out against these disturbing violations of constitutional protections. The government must respect the rights of all individuals, including immigrants, to voice dissent and participate in peaceful protests without fear of retaliation or deportation. Failing to uphold these constitutionally protected first amendment rights would do grave harm to American democracy.