In a devastating update to the increasingly degrading situation of our country, green card holders now face possible deportation for protesting genocide – an opinion that the government does not want you to hold.

Mahmoud Khalil was “one of the most visible activists in the protests last spring at Columbia,” writes Philip Marcelo of the Associated Press in an article titled “What to know about Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia protester arrested by ICE and facing deportation,” published on March 11. He served a negotiator role that resulted in frequent appearances with the media and university officials, writes Marcelo. 

Khalil’s Palestinian grandparents were removed from their homeland. Because of this, he was raised in Syria. In 2022, he came on a student visa to pursue graduate studies at Columbia. In 2023, he married a U.S. citizen and became a permanent resident (green card holder) as of last year, Marcelo reported. 

A green card holder can still be deported by the United States, writes Richards and Jurusik Immigration Law in a Feb. 2025 article called “Can a U.S. Green Card Holder Be Deported?” Green card holders can be deported for crimes such as aggravated felonies, drug offenses, and most notably – “espionage, sabotage, treason, or terrorism-related crimes.” But is protesting terrorism? The Trump administration thinks so.

The BBC article published on March 12, “Who is Mahmoud Khalil, Palestinian student activist facing US deportation?” written by Phil McCausland, said that the government is cracking down on what Trump calls “un-American activity.” Yes – your right to protest the government – un-American. Trump alleges that pro-Palestinian student protestors support Hamas (with no proof of this statement) and warns that Khalil’s arrest is “the first of many to come.”

The BBC article published on March 12, “Who is Mahmoud Khalil, Palestinian student activist facing US deportation?” written by Phil McCausland, said that the government is cracking down on what Trump calls “un-American activity.”

NPR’s Adrian Florido reported just this month in “Judge rules Mahmoud Khalil can be deported,” that it was decided Khalil’s case is grounds for deportation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked a rare statute from the 1950s Cold War-era policy, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, giving “the secretary of state authority to decide that a noncitizen’s presence in the United States threatens the country’s policy goals.”

However, it is important to note that this is far from over. The judge ruled him deportable, but Khalil will not be deported right away, as his lawyers said that they would appeal. A separate court case is also occurring, one that claims he is being wrongfully targeted for speech that should be constitutionally protected. This is according to an article published on April 13, “Judge has ruled legal permanent US resident Mahmoud Khalil can be deported. What comes next?” by CNN’s Ray Sanchez and Gloria Pazmino.

It is an understatement to say that this is terrifying. The American Civil Liberties Union launched a press release on March 10 titled “ACLU Strongly Condemns Unlawful Arrest and Detention of Columbia Student Activist,” where they write, “This arrest is unprecedented, illegal, and un-American. The federal government is claiming the authority to deport people with deep ties to the U.S. and revoke their green cards for advocating positions that the government opposes. To be clear: The First Amendment protects everyone in the U.S.”

The reality is that a student activist was targeted by the federal government. This is a direct intimidation tactic against those with the courage to speak out for Palestinian freedom and to condemn Israeli occupation. The United States has made its stance clear, over and over again, that it will side with tyranny, it will side with occupation, and it will side with genocide. We are under arduous times, and part of a fight that is far from over. 

Here on our campus, 12 international students have had their visas revoked, according to an email statement from the President’s Office titled “Community Message regarding Visas.” For what reason, states the email, “We do not know.” The targeting of international students is not just a Columbia problem. It’s not something that will never touch us, it is something that is already here.

There is a very fine line between who gets targeted, and it is a simple matter of where one was born. There is not much separating those of us who were born in the United States and those of us who were not. If the Trump administration feels all too comfortable rescinding the right to free speech from permanent residents with green cards, and to randomly revoke student visas, especially if left unchallenged, who is to say who the next target is? 

We should not go silent as Trump declares that many more of these arrests will come. This is a threat to all of us.