The U.S. government is openly criminalizing dissent, punishing those who dare to stand against genocide, and using universities as tools to carry out political repression. The detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate, is an attack on all of us who care about peace. Mahmoud, sensing he might be in danger, asked Columbia for help ahead of time. Instead of protecting him from this blatant act of illegal repression, they collaborated with the Trump admin to try and deport a former student. Trump is testing how far he can take his fascist tactics, and he’s studying which institutions fall in line. It’s our responsibility to call out universities that collaborate with ICE to deport their own students! 

👉 Send a letter to Columbia University: Protect your students! Stop collaborating with ICE!

Mahmoud, a legal permanent resident who holds a green card, was kidnapped from his home by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the middle of the night and placed in ICE detention. His “crime”? Speaking out against the genocide in Gaza! DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that Mahmoud was detained “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism” and claimed that Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas.” The Trump administration asserted that Khalil would be the first of many people deported for support of "terrorism" despite a failure to present charges or trial. Thankfully, a judge has blocked Khalil's deportation, though he remains in ICE detention while his eight-months pregnant wife is left alone worrying what will happen to him. 

Kidnapping a Palestinian from their home only to detain them indefinitely without charges or a trial sounds familiar... like a page out of the Israeli playbook. The official POTUS and White House Instagram accounts took it even further, posting a photo of Khalil with the text "Shalom Mahmoud" written over it. This is a mask-off moment. They can't convince us this is a matter of national security or law, no matter how they spin it. This is about repressing and criminalizing speech they don’t agree with. This time it’s about aligning solely with Israel — what will it be next? 

This isn’t just about Mahmoud Khalil — this is a crackdown on all of us who stand against genocide. The federal government canceled $400 million in grants to Columbia University since it “didn't do enough” to crack down on pro-Palestine activism. Columbia succumbed to the pressure, leaving its students vulnerable to ICE and more government repression. You and I must refuse to do the same. As Trump’s fascism escalates, more institutions will fall in line and collaborate with them. We need to stand in solidarity with Mahmoud Khalil as loud as we can, with everything we've got.

👉 Resist fascism! Tell Columbia to reaffirm its commitment to being a sanctuary campus and take concrete action to protect its students!

Of course, the targeting of Mahmoud is inextricably linked to Gaza. As we fight political repression here, Israel just cut off the last remaining power in Gaza. They are trying to exterminate Gazans in darkness, and our government is helping it happen. The harder they try to silence us here, the easier it is to carry out genocide in Palestine. But the response to Mahmoud's arrest has given me so much hope. Protests have erupted across the U.S. demanding his release. I encourage you to find an action near you and join it.

I feel it necessary to tell you all that this repression didn’t start with Donald Trump. Neoliberals like Joe Biden, historically, have laid the groundwork for fascism to take hold. During the encampments at Columbia last spring, Columbia could have made the right decision. They could have divested from genocide and met with the students in good faith. They could have protected their students. Instead, they called in the NYPD to arrest and brutalize students who were exercising their right to protest. This was under liberal city, state, and national leadership — and it happened at universities all over the country. Repression began long ago, and Mahmoud’s situation is the next test for us. Will we accept fascist repression, or will we reject it? 

People like Mahmoud who stand against genocide are targeted and repressed, yet those who facilitate and commit war crimes hold the highest positions of power. That’s why we’re also supporting our friends at DAWN in their efforts to get the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the Biden administration for aiding and abetting Israel’s war crimes. We need 1,000 more signatures before we can deliver our petition to the ICC office in New York next week. Add your name to be part of this historic moment.

 👉 Don't miss out:

• Watch: We're living in the new Red Scare
• Hold U.S. officials accountable with Taxpayers Against Genocide!
• Join our next MPM community hour on 4/14!
• Sign up to organize and engage locally!
• Order pink keffiyehs from the West Bank!

Until Liberation,

Nour and the entire CODEPINK team