Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

@repaoc · Twitter ·

The Trump Administration’s treatment of Mahmoud Khalil is inhumane and unconstitutional. Today, I was proud to join @ValdezAssembly, @CMAlexaAviles, and 27 city, state, and federal officials to call for his immediate release.

Dear Secretary Noem, On behalf of our communities, we urge you to immediately release Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia graduate student and lawful permanent U.S. resident, and return him to his home and family in New York City. On the night of Saturday, March 8, Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and taken from his Columbia University apartment by DHS agents to an undisclosed location. In a statement on X, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the administration would be detaining Khalil, a green card holder, in connection to his alleged participation in pro-Palestinian protests. Khalil has been denied his Constitutional right to due process, and is being held without legal justification or evidence that he has violated any laws. The treatment of Mahmoud Khalil by the Department of Homeland Security is not only inhumane, it is a blatant violation of his legal rights. He has been separated illegally from his pregnant wife, who is a United States citizen, and detained without due process thousands of miles from home. We see these actions by the Trump administration for what they are—a flagrantly unconstitutional attempt to suppress free speech and incite fear. The administration's pattern of targeting the rights of students and immigrants to speak against injustice undermines democracy and makes everyone less safe. We're writing to urge his immediate release back to his family in New York City. We also call on the administration to remove ICE and DHS from our campuses. Finally, we urge Columbia University to cease any and all cooperation with immigration officials who violate our sanctuary city protections and put their students at risk. Sincerely, the undersigned: Signatures Signatures