Last week, Palestinian Mahmoud Khalil, a legal resident of the United States who has obtained and possesses a green card, was kidnapped from his apartment by agents of the American Government for his activism and heavy protesting for Palestine. Khalil, who had taken part in the pro-Palestine encampments on Columbia University’s campus last year, was said to have been taken and arrested for his alleged alliance “to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” said Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
One of President Trump’s most significant platforms was the deportation of individuals who were protesting against Israel’s genocide against Palestine and its people. McLaughlin expressed and attempted to explain the seizing of Khalil, stating it was “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.” It is important to note that protesting in support of life for one country does not mean one is anti-Semitic. It simply means you value life regardless of who it is.
Despite the best efforts of McLaughlin and her team, the judge on the case, U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, ruled that Khalil will not be deported and is to stay in the United States. However, this has not eased the nerves of anyone following the case, much less Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant. Many have now taken to the streets in support of the release of Khalil and to take a stand against the prospective deportations of protesters that President Trump claims he will enact.
Pro-Palestine protests, rallies, and marches have been taking place since Oct. 7th, 2023, and the Israeli genocide following against the Palestinian people. On Oct. 21 of that year, Philadelphia had a march from City Hall to the Art Museum on the Ben.
Since then, many government officials have called for the deportation of those partaking in these protests and marches, many even getting doxxed by certain websites. It was not until Khalil that these deportations were wishful thinking on their part. And even so, Khalil’s deportation has been blocked, rendering the threats and claims from politicians like Republican representative Darrell Issa of California and their statement “Free Him? More like deport him” seem silly now.
Following the news outbreak of Khalil’s arrest, people in the city mobilized and organized a rally at City Hall. On March 14, residents of the city came together to show support. The turnout was sizable, with almost everyone wearing a Keffiyeh or mask to cover their face in some way. The main speaker at the rally emphasized the importance of unity, urging people to get out and take action; “Do not be quiet. They can’t take everybody.” The message ‘You can’t deport a movement’ hit hard and resonated deeply with those in the crowds.
Another guest speaker, Keziah, shared her motivation behind these events, emphasizing that we as a community need to “speak up and continue to uplift everything happening right now. If we don’t, it gets lost in the news cycle.” What is happening to Khalil and what is happening in Palestine is not an isolated incident; What happens to the world affects everybody, especially since the attacks on Palestine are being paid for by our tax dollars, as Keziah pointed out.
“We have to be citizens of the world; we have to know what’s going on and educate ourselves. Because of people speaking up, more people are aware; more people are knowledgeable about what is happening… when people gain knowledge, they tend to act on it.”
A singular rally will not fix everything, but constant pressure and demand, continuously showing up and fighting for a cause regardless of how discouraging it may seem at times – that is how change happens. Fighting in unity and standing by your neighbors, even if the matter at hand does not impact you directly, is the way to take a stand. If it does not affect you today, it will tomorrow, and a united front can save everybody.
