What the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil tells us about the First Amendment

Last year, pro-Palestinian “liberation zones” popped up all over American campuses, demanding that universities divest from Israel and advocating for an end to the war in Gaza. Now, ICE’s arrest and detainment of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader in Columbia University’s student protests, has created a climate of fear and frustration among student protesters across the country. 

Khalil was arrested and forced into an unmarked car before being taken to a detention facility in Louisiana. He has not been accused of a crime. This case deals calls norms of immigration law into question. But also, importantly, how the government interprets our constitution’s First Amendment is at stake. 

Guest: Juliette Majid, former student activist, and Genevive Lakier, Professor of Law at the University of Chicago. 

Related Links: 

How a Columbia Student Activist Landed in Federal Detention — NYT

I am a Palestinian political prisoner in the US. I am being targeted for my activism — The Guardian

The Case of Mahmoud Khalil — The New Yorker

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