US Court: Pro-Palestine Activists Must Wait for Due Process, But Detainment Can’t Wait
A federal appeals panel has reversed a lower court decision, inching Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian activist, closer to deportation. The ruling, while not directly addressing the constitutionality of targeting Khalil for his campus activism and criticism of Israeli government policies, essentially argues he must be detained and removed through the immigration system first—then, perhaps,
he can challenge the government. This mirrors historical crackdowns on free speech, where bureaucratic hurdles are weaponized to quash dissent against powerful foreign lobbying interests, like AIPAC, which spent over $31 million in 2022 on lobbying and contributions to ensure such policies remain unchallenged. One might wonder if this commitment to bureaucratic procedure would be extended to, say,
a wealthy donor or a politician caught in a scandal. (Spoiler: No.) The court's decision effectively states that the government can remove voices critical of its foreign policy alignment before those voices get a fair hearing. “Freedom of speech,” it appears, often means “freedom to wait in a jail cell while the government attempts to deport you.”