Okay, so, Khalil Mahmoud.
Putting aside, for the moment, the specifics of the Israel/Palestine/Gaza issue, which is a lot to put aside...
And put aside as well the question of whether Green Card holders have First Amendment rights. It seems pretty clear to me that they do, and most reputable attorneys would agree, but never mind that.
The thing about this arrest and the serious attempt to deport Khalil is that it rests on the premise that publicly disagreeing with the government is itself grounds for legal punishment, even in the absence of an actual crime. Twitter randos are the only ones making any criminal accusations. The Departments of State and Justice are not.
Conservatives should be very wary of giving the government that kind of power. Do the last five years―COVID, January 6―really leave any doubt that Democrats would also use this kind of power to crush their enemies? Think ahead five minutes, please.
On a related note, Columbia University is continuing its record of being an absolute quisling. What do they have left to sell?
2 comments:
What rights in law a Green Card holder has is an arguable subject - one that it appears Khalil Mahmoud is still fighting in court since he hasn't actually been deported yet. The situation is doubly confused because of the Israel/Palestine/Gaza situation being as muddy as it is and the fact that America hasn't protested at all the ongoing genocide perpetrated by the Israelis against the Palestinian people. Students tend to be a passionate lot in the face of injustice so those who protest on behalf of the Gazan people have found themselves lumped in with pro-Hamas supporters and all are vilified by the government - with the assistance of the powerful jewish lobby. The Palestinians have a righteous cause.
Khalil Mahmoud is a Green Card holder a legal alien and as an alien, legal or illegal, he can only remain in the country with government consent:
Green Card holders can be deported if they commit certain crimes or violate immigration laws. This vulnerability makes it essential for LPRs to understand and comply with U.S. laws at all times. Green Card holders can be deported if they commit certain crimes or violate immigration laws. In contrast, U.S. citizens are fully protected from deportation, providing a sense of security not available to LPRs.
~ Clear Horizon Legal Solutions
The question in Khalil's case is whether he violated the law. We stood by Trump in the face of the illegal politicization of the Justice Department. I think we all stand against the same politicization of ICE as a means to shut down free speech.
What Columbia has to sell is a question left for another ime.
The rights of Green Card holders are arguable because laws are being constantly reinterpreted. The underlying principle, though, is that the government can't shield itself from criticism through force of law. Much less shielding foreign allies. There are likely some protesters using unhelpful rhetoric and tactics. Some might be breaking the law, and should be dealt with on that level. What we seem to be seeing is the use of immigration enforcement--and potentially RICO in the case of citizens--to squash constitutionally protected speech. Which would certainly be a dire development. Not least because it would mean perverting American laws for a horrendous policy in another country.
Democrats used lawfare all during Trump's first term in order to stymy his actions. Then there were two frivolous impeachments and much malicious lawyering since then. There's a kind of justice in the electorate choosing to return him to the White House since then. But Trump was supposed to be a refutation of Bushism. Recently he's started to seem like Dubya on steroids. Quite the bait and switch.
Huge portions of higher education in this country are a boondoggle. That very much applies to prestige institutions like the Ivies. But yes, that's a whole other matter.
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