1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

I am writing to express grave concern about the recent actions taken against international students and foreign nationals who are protesting the actions of the Israeli government in the West Bank, Gaza and beyond. Students engaged in peaceful activism on U.S. campuses are facing possible detention and deportation under the orders of the Trump administration. These students are being targeted for their pro-Palestinian views and for speaking out against what they perceive as war crimes committed by the Israeli government and its allies, including the U.S. While anti-Semitism is undeniably a real and dangerous problem in our society, it is both disingenuous and harmful to lump all those who criticize Israeli government policies as anti-Semites or supporters of terrorism. Protesting the actions of a state does not equate to hatred of its people or religion. The conflation of political advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism threatens to dilute our efforts to combat actual hate and allows it to fester unchecked. Unfortunately, we are witnessing such dangerous conflations from influential figures. Take Elon Musk, for example: he publicly supports Israel, yet uses his platform to promote anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. This is the same individual who infamously performed a Nazi salute during a speech, a direct contradiction to the values of respect and equality that we must uphold. His actions illustrate how real anti-Semitism is being weaponized alongside political speech, further blurring the lines between hate and criticism of state policies. Additionally, President Trump's directives targeting foreign students, particularly those who express political views, represent a brazen attack on our constitutional rights. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, yet these orders put individuals' rights at risk based on their national origin or views. It is unacceptable to use national security or political motives to suppress legitimate political expression, particularly when it concerns individuals advocating for human rights and justice. We must draw a clear distinction between hate speech and legitimate dissent. The right to peacefully protest and advocate for change is fundamental to our democracy, and it is a right that all individuals—regardless of their citizenship status—should be able to exercise without fear of retaliation. I urge you to take immediate action to defend the rights of all individuals to speak freely, including international students who are raising their voices for Palestinian rights. We must not allow the suppression of free speech under the guise of combating hate. Instead, we must confront actual hate head-on while safeguarding the rights of individuals to engage in peaceful protest and political advocacy.