Since Mahmoud Khalil was detained by federal agents in his home and in front of his family, the Trump administration has engaged in a campaign to suppress free speech by weaponizing unjust deportations. In only a few weeks, legal residents across the country have been separated from their families, detained in federal facilities without access to counsel, had visas revoked without notice, been deported without due process, and threatened with rendition to a maximum security prison in El Salvador referred to as a “black hole of human rights.” Masked men without uniform or identification as federal agents have made people disappear off the street. Many of these decisions constitute retaliation toward people who have condemned what the United Nations deems a genocide of Palestinians. United States’ policy regarding the Middle East is a critical and contentious political issue. According to Gallup polling, the majority of Americans disapprove of the Israeli government’s conduct in Gaza. By criminalizing popular opinions of U.S. government policy, not only is the Trump administration hurting migrants and their families — they are attacking every American’s right to free speech.
Students have been abducted from the streets for writing op-eds in school newspapers. Academics have been detained for expressing their political views on social media. The administration promises that these deportations are merely the first arrests of “many to come.” We condemn the Trump administration’s actions and demand an end to this massive assault on our right to free speech and continued descent into authoritarianism.
We also call on the University of Pennsylvania to condemn these unlawful deportations and take action to protect all students regardless of their immigration status.
The arbitrary nature of these abductions is designed to instill fear, anxiety, and paranoia. They have shattered the lines of predictability and are signaling that everyone is a potential target. If you feel hesitancy in signing onto this petition or publicly demanding action because you fear reprisal, that demonstrates the profound chilling effect of the administration’s actions. We cannot let this reality go unchallenged.
In the words of our University's founder, Benjamin Franklin: “Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins.”
THIS LETTER was authored by the Penn Carey Law Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. A full list of signatures can be found here. If you would like to sign this petition, indicate that here. The authors of the letter can be reached at nlg.pennlaw@gmail.com.
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