On Saturday, March 8, DHS targeted and seized Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist for Palestinian rights at Columbia University, as punishment for his political speech. Mahmoud is a legal permanent resident with a Green Card and his wife (a U.S. citizen) is eight months pregnant. In a shocking, unprecedented escalation against American laws and values, the Trump Administration singled him out for arrest specifically because of his activism on behalf of Palestinians, and they have announced plans to illegally strip him of his legal resident status and deport him.

The Trump administration claims that this is about fighting terrorism and antisemitism. They are lying. Mahmoud is in prison and faces deportation for having political views that Donald Trump doesn’t like. Mahmoud’s arrest is blatantly unconstitutional, and is part of Trump's targeted attacks on free speech, universities, New York City, and our democracy.

Some of our local New York elected officials have already spoken out. But not enough. Email Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and your City Council Representative NOW to demand that they do everything in their power to secure Mahmoud's release, protect student activists and immigrant New Yorkers, and stand up to Trump's authoritarian power-grab.