The Trump regime is trying to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a legal resident and student of Columbia University, because he led protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Because he opposes Zionism. Because he opposes US foreign policy. They are trying to deport him because he exercised his legal right under the constitution to free speech. This is unprecedented and downright terrifying.

Firstly, Zionism is a political ideology. It is not Judaism. There are many Jews who are not Zionists and there are many Zionists who are not Jews. To conflate the two is actual antisemitism.

Secondly, political speech is protected speech in the US, or at least it is supposed to be. Of course, there are multiple examples of how this is suppressed or even outlawed. For instance, many states have laws banning participation in the BDS Movement.

To be sure, the US has deported many legal residents before, and under Democratic presidents. Obama was known as the “deporter in chief.” It has spirited them away to undisclosed locations and kicked them out of the country often for relatively minor offenses. But the difference here is a stark one.

The Trump regime is sending a clear message that speech itself can be an offense worthy of deportation of any non-citizen. Essentially, any speech that the dear leader doesn’t agree with. And if we think he will stop at deportation, we are not grasping the scope of this plan. In short, the worst is yet to come.

Prior to the election, Trump warned that he would send US troops into “Democratic cities” to stop the “enemy from within.” These “enemies” were, according to the orange coated fascist, “leftists, Marxists” and anyone with blue hair. I added the last bit for comedic effect, but the point is that it is anyone whom the president does not like. This plan was to be implemented after mass deportations.

The abduction and forced disappearance of Mahmoud Khalil is the canary in the coal mine. Fascist regimes use this tactic to instill fear and suppress dissent. And historically, this tactic has often worked. But there have been many protests since this incident and it is important that these continue in order to show the regime that the people will not be intimidated.

That the Trump regime has used combating antisemitism as the reason for this authoritarian and lawless act is ironic to say the least. From a sieg heiling Musk and Steve Bannon to a neo-Nazi supporting Vance, this regime has demonstrated its glaring lack of creds in the struggle against bigotry and hatred. But we should look to Khalil himself for the proof that he is being wrongly targeted for hate speech or supporting terrorism.

Prior to his forced disappearance, Mahmoud said: “As a Palestinian student, I believe that the liberation of the Palestinian people and the Jewish people are intertwined and go hand-by-hand and you cannot achieve one without the other.”

Kenn Orphan, March 2025