Defend Free Speech and Reject Ideological Deportations

Defend the republic. Do not be a rubber stamp. Congress must check and balance the executive branch. The targeting of immigrant activists like Mahmoud Khalil for deportation represents a concerning overreach that threatens fundamental free speech rights. While the government claims authority over immigration matters, deporting individuals solely for expressing dissenting political views sets a dangerous precedent that could eventually extend to silencing American citizens as well. The obscure 1952 law being invoked has troubling roots in the racist and xenophobic policies of the past that we should reject, not resurrect. Criticism of American foreign policy and advocacy for Palestinian rights, however unpopular, does not constitute threats to national security or terrorism. Equating such speech with violence only breeds further division. As a nation built on the democratic ideals of free expression, we must resist any efforts to criminalize dissent as a matter of preserving our core values and liberties. Deportation through ideological litmus tests represents an unacceptable infringement on civil liberties that weakens America's moral authority. I urge you to speak out against these disturbing actions and defend the right to peaceful protest for all.