Democrats are deeply in conflict after arresting the Trump administration of a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University who is facing deportation due to his prominent role in the campus protests against the Israeli-Hamas war.
Senate and House Democrats accused Mahmoud Khalil of being arrested for violations of the first right to amend the protest, but softened their criticism in order to avoid supporting campus protests, which are sometimes characterized by harassment and attacks by Jewish students.
They are also warned to blame Hamas for attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, luring 250 people, and urging Israel’s response to the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Gaza, including many citizens.
“I dislike many of the opinions and policies that Mahmoud Khalil holds and supports, and I’m known for my criticism of anti-Semitic behavior in Colombia,” said the minority leader. Chuck Schumer I wrote it Posts to X on Tuesday.
But New York Democrats challenged the Trump administration, which called Halil a Hamas supporter, to justify an arrest by immigration agents outside their New York apartment over the weekend.
“If the administration cannot prove it, he violates the criminal law to justify taking this harsh action and does it for the opinions he has expressed, it is wrong, so they are violating the amended protections that we all enjoy and should stop litigating misconduct.”
Khalil was a Palestinian from Syria who enrolled in the United States on a student visa and gained legal permanent residency, commonly known as a green card. His wife, an American citizen, is eight months pregnant, his lawyer said in court documents.
President Donald Trump has said he wants to crack down on anti-Semitism on university campuses, and celebrated his arrest in a social media post, saying it was “the first of many people to come.”
A federal judge stopped the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Halil on Monday and scheduled a hearing on Wednesday’s case.
Schumer’s Statement I echoed something similar From House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries It was released on Monday.
“There is a serious university disciplinary process that can handle the issue as long as his actions contradict Columbia’s policies and create an unacceptable, hostile academic environment for Jewish students and others,” Jeffries writes. “The actions taken by the Trump administration are very inconsistent with the US Constitution because there is no evidence of crime, including providing serious support to terrorist organisations.”
Other prominent Democrats are also fighting arrests. manager Adam Smith The Washington state said there are concerns about some of the campus protests that erupted nationwide after the attack on October 7th. But he pointed out Social media posts “Halil did not commit any crimes,” and “should not be trapped to express his political views.”
A small number of democratic representatives have taken a subtle view of demanding the release of Khalil, expressing support for the Palestinian movement. In a letter sent on Tuesday To Christy Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security.
“We have to be very clear. This is an attempt to criminalize political protests and a direct attack on the freedom of speech of everyone in this country,” said the signatories, including Palestinian-American representatives. Rashida Tlaib Michigan. “Halil’s arrest is an anti-Palestinian racism that aims to silence the Palestinian solidarity movement in the country.”
Other democratic lawmakers who sign the letter include Wisconsin officials. Mark PokanNew York representative. Nydia VelázquezMinnesota official Ilhan Omar Texas representative Jasmine Roquet.
Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, was condemned in November 2023 for comments on the Israeli Hamas War. Omer was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023 due to comments that previously denounced the Israeli government.
Fix: Previous versions have misplaced Rep. Ilhan Omar’s last name.
