“I expect the Department of Justice to work within the confines of the law,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who counts Khalil as one of his constituents.

As protests arise and First Amendment questions mount surrounding the immigration detention of Mahmoud Khalil, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., penned and circulated a letter demanding the immediate release of the recent Columbia University graduate.

It found little support among Tlaib’s colleagues in Washington, with a mere 14 Democrats signing their names on the letter condemning Khalil’s detention as an “illegal abduction.”

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., who counts Khalil as one of his constituents, did not sign the letter. When contacted by The Intercept about the case, Espaillat said he expects the Trump administration — which has explicitly flouted and sought to circumscribe federal legal protections for civil liberties — to adhere to the rule of law.

The Trump administration itself has admitted the case against Khalil does not hinge on allegations that he broke the law and told a conservative news outlet that it will these proceedings as a blueprint to target other students.

  • Mr_Crash_Davis@lemmy.world
    0·
    3 months ago

    If you’re a Democrat there is no political upside to coming out publicly for Khalil.

    I had read somewhere that Khalil has some diplomatic experience and possible connections to the UK. I’m wondering if the U.S. politicians know something about him that the rest of us don’t.

    • BertramDitore@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      Staying silent on the unlawful detention and suppression of the first amendment rights of a legal permanent resident would be unforgivable. If this specific case doesn’t cause outrage and epitomize the lawlessness and cruelty of this administration, then nothing will.

      There is no political upside to staying silent on this issue. This is not the time to spread unsourced rumors about a facially law-abiding permanent resident, it’s the time to insist our government follow the laws that the rest of us are subject to. Follow due process, and if there are genuine issues with his case, deal with them within the bounds of the law. But keeping quiet and just assuming this administration will follow the law is foolish. We all need to loudly stand up for this man and his rights, otherwise no one will stand up for us when the time comes.

        • BertramDitore@lemm.eeEnglish
          0·
          3 months ago

          So because a small group of voters made a decision that you (and I) disagree with, their rights shouldn’t be protected by the law? That’s not how this is supposed to work.

          • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            3 months ago

            Now you’re getting it. The oligarchy and right wing propaganda machine successfully turned Liberals against the left for drawing a line in the sand at genocide…

            Liberals: “should we blame our party for being bought and paid for by the oligarchy? Should we blame ourselves for failing to motivate the 100M adults who sit out each election? For supporting genocide? No, we’ll blame the radical left “protest voters” for Trumps win, without evidence that they had any meaningful impact! This is all their fault!”

          • UsernameHere@lemmy.world
            01·
            3 months ago

            You’re purposefully misrepresenting what I said.

            The way to prevent protestors from disappearing is to vote for “genocide Joe”.

            Paelestinian protestors chose to discourage voters from preventing this. They chose this outcome while so many tried to prevent it.