One genre of fall off that needs to be studied is American pride discourse. Seriously — how did we get from Outlaw Country to the Red, White, Blue & Walmart America odes of today? It’s been a long time coming, but the short answer is probably because of 9/11. Parallel to that question, how did we go from the principled Republican response of “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” to our South Park in real time move to deport anyone who protests American foreign policy? Again — probably still has its roots in 9/11 — but the Trump administration’s steadfast commitment to lambaste anything that isn’t pro-Israel as pro-terrorism has definitely sharpened the edge. Fox News has coverage:
A court hearing will take place in Manhattan federal court Wednesday morning challenging the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, one of the ringleaders of anti-Israel protests at Columbia University last year who the Trump administration is trying to deport.
ICE agents arrested Khalil — who is a Palestinian raised in Syria and a permanent U.S. resident — from his university-owned apartment on the city’s Upper West Side on Saturday and told him they were revoking his green card and student visa, according to Khalil’s attorney, Amy Greer. He was then taken to a Louisiana detention center.
How MyCase Accounting Transforms Legal Bookkeeping
This complete system built for lawyers simplifies the complex world of law firm finance.
It cannot be repeated enough that the consequences Khalil is facing aren’t because of any crime he’s committed or been accused of — this is purely a “You said things we didn’t like” issue:
The judge hearing Khalil’s case is none other than Jesse Furman, the same judge who presided over Michael Avenatti in 2022. Of all the Lawyer of the Year titles ATL has handed out over the years, that one has aged the worst.
This Monday, Judge Furman blocked Khalil’s deportation. And while it’s great that he’s acting as a bulwark against tyranny, the next person who risks deportation for protesting may not be as lucky when it comes to the judge they get assigned. The Trump administration announced on Monday the intent to target an entire class of dissenters; Khalil is just the start:
Now is the time for litigation teams to adopt AI
Facing growing caseloads and data volumes, law firms that rely on outdated case management tools risk falling behind. Discover how AI is transforming litigation processes and giving firms a competitive edge.
There’s no denying that this story falls squarely in the “Campus Free Speech Is Under Attack” bucket, but it would be naive to assume that this is where it will end. What stops the Trump administration from deporting someone with a work visa for sharing a meme on Facebook they deemed too “un-American” to stomach? And what of natural born citizens who protest American policy? This brewing spate of deportations might be rooted in the Immigration and Nationality Act, but we’re only a redefining of terrorism or getting rid of birthright citizenship away from undercutting some of the security the average protestor assumes will protect them.
Columbia Anti-Israel Protest Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil Faces Court Hearing On Detention [Fox News]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.