1. United States
2. Ga.
3. Letter

The arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil by the Department of Homeland Security represents a grave violation of his constitutional rights as a legal permanent resident of the United States. As a student activist advocating for Palestinian rights, Khalil was exercising his protected freedoms of speech and assembly. His detention is a blatant attempt to criminalize political dissent and silence the Palestinian solidarity movement. This crackdown on civil liberties is deeply concerning and sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the rights of all Americans to freely express their views. Khalil must be released immediately from custody. He is being wrongfully held as a political prisoner for engaging in constitutionally protected activities. Allowing this unlawful detention to continue would severely undermine our nation's foundational principles of free speech and the right to petition the government. Khalil's immediate release is imperative to uphold these core democratic values and prevent further erosion of our civil liberties.