this article is important. fascism is escalating
as a former history teacher, i think it's important to note as we pass mileposts on the decline into deeper fascism. these are moments that indicate an increased need for resistance. the article below lays out one such moment.
Mahmoud Khalil Is the First Activist to Be Disappeared by Trump
On the evening of March 8, recent Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil and his wife unlocked the door to their apartment building. As they entered, two men not in uniform pushed their way inside behind them. Khalil’s visa had been revoked, they told him. They were there to deport him, and if Khalil’s eight-month-pregnant wife, who is an American citizen, didn’t shut up and go into their apartment, they would arrest her too. When Khalil demanded a warrant, one of the men showed Khalil a picture of a document on his phone, which is not how warrants work.
Khalil, who is Palestinian, was one of the leaders of Columbia University’s encampment protest against the genocide in Gaza last year. He represented the protest in negotiations with the university. He also recently obtained his green card, a fact that seemed to catch the men—plainclothes Department of Homeland Security officers, it turns out—off guard. One of them made a phone call, then hung up and told Khalil that his green card was revoked as well. By this time, Khalil had his lawyer on the phone. She echoed her client’s demand for an actual warrant, on paper, in accordance with the law. The officers hung up on her. They abducted Khalil, took him to an ICE detention center in New York City, then moved him to a different, undisclosed facility. For all of Sunday, Khalil’s wife and lawyer could not locate him; he had effectively been disappeared. Only yesterday did they finally discover his whereabouts: a privately owned ICE detention center flagged by human rights organization for severe medical neglect and both physical and sexual assault.
some actions you can take:
Mahmoud Khalil Is the First Activist to Be Disappeared by Trump
The detention and attempted deportation of Khalil is a test by Trump to see how far he can go—and a test for us to see how hard we will fight back.
Laura Jedeed
Email Congress: Demand the release of student activist Mahmoud Khalil. - JVP
A permanent resident of the United States could face imminent deportation because he stood up for Palestinian rights. We must act now.
Sign the Petition
Stand With Our Students, Protect Free Speech
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as always, i hope this is useful.
with hope,
katie wills evans