1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am a voting constituent in Davis, and a faculty member at UC Davis. While I am writing as a private citizen, not in my capacity as a UC Davis employee, I am horrified to hear of the arrest of a legal resident of the United State, Mahmoud Khalil, for taking part in a protest on the campus of Columbia University. While many may not agree with Mr. Khalil's stance, this arrest sets a very scary precedence that the federal government will arrest any person who protests against their currently-held beliefs, held without charges, and potentially deported for their protest. This regime has shown us time and time again the beginning, and now middle, of the slippery slope toward oligarchy and dictatorship. It is up to our elected representatives to take a stand against these actions. Thank you.