Today, the Associated Press released a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio concerning the deportation case against Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Khalil's legal team claims he has been targeted solely for his speech supporting Palestinian rights, which they argue is protected under the First Amendment.
For a month, Khalil has been detained in a Louisiana facility following his arrest in New York. His attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, stated, “After a month of hiding the ball since Mahmoud’s late-night unjust arrest in New York and taking him away to a remote detention center in Louisiana, immigration authorities have finally admitted that they have no case whatsoever against him.” He argues that Secretary Rubio has not provided any evidence that Khalil's actions present foreign policy issues for the U.S.
The legal representation for Khalil includes several organizations, such as Dratel & Lewis, the Center for Constitutional Rights, CLEAR, Van Der Hout LLP, New York University Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, the New York Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of New Jersey, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Molly Biklen from the NYCLU highlighted the impact on Khalil's family, stating, “This document underscores that the government has ripped Mahmoud Khalil from his home and nine-months pregnant wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, solely because it disagrees with his speech.” Biklen criticized the government’s actions as a direct attack on free speech, stressing that political criticism is constitutionally protected.
Ramzi Kassem of CLEAR expressed criticism of the administration's reliance on Rubio's memo as evidence for deportation. “This makes plain that the Trump Administration believes it needs nothing more than Rubio’s say so to place a U.S. permanent resident in removal proceedings simply because it dislikes that person’s outspoken opposition to U.S. and Israeli policy and support for Palestinian rights,” he said.
Samah Sissay from the Center for Constitutional Rights pointed out the lack of genuine foreign policy concerns raised against Khalil. She stated, “The government has not stated any legitimate foreign policy interest that is negatively impacted by Mr. Khalil but instead erroneously attributes prejudiced views to him.”
The controversy centers around the use of a rarely invoked immigration provision, with the government arguing for Khalil's deportation based on his advocacy and negotiations on Palestinian issues. The legal team argues these are protected activities that should not result in deportation.
