Should governments have the right to deport legal residents for being too pro-Palestinian?

And is Donald Trump like the King Achashverosh character from the Book of Esther?
Pro-Palestinian protesters erected an encampment on the quad at Columbia University, pictured here on April 21, 2024. (Photo by Abbad Diraneyya/Wikimedia Commons)

On March 13, nearly 100 protesters were arrested for storming Trump Tower in New York City. Their cause? Not government cuts, Medicaid, migrant rights or the cost of living. They were protesting in the name of Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old pro-Palestinian student who became a lead organizer of the campus protests at Columbia University last spring. Even though Khalil is a legal permanent resident who holds a green card and is married to an American citizen, he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last weekend, and is currently under threat of being deported for being a threat to U.S. foreign policy.

The move has sparked outrage, with many people on both sides of the Israel-Palestine debate arguing that it’s a blatant attempt to silence dissenting voices, undermine free speech and threaten legal immigration routes. On today’s episode of Bonjour Chai, the hosts look at the unfolding case and how best to protect the right to protest in both the U.S. and Canada.

Credits

  • Hosts: Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy (@BovyMaltz)
  • Production team: Michae Fraiman (producer), Zachary Judah Kauffman (editor)
  • Music: Socalled

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