Rising Voices Statement: Rising Voices Protests the Trump Administration’s Authoritarian Actions and the Illegal Detention of Mahmoud Khalil

Detroit – Rising Voices is outraged by the Trump administration’s illegal and authoritarian actions, a direct threat to American democracy. The arrest and forced disappearance of Columbia University alumnus and Palestinian human rights activist Mahmoud Khalil mark a dangerous escalation in political repression. These actions blatantly assault our civil liberties and violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. We stand resolute in our right to speak out against these un-American abuses of power by the Trump administration and demand accountability, and the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil.

Ten days after his arrest on March 8, Khalil remains detained without charges, and his whereabouts were initially hidden from his family and attorney, as ICE misled them by providing false information about where he was being detained. Khalil is a legal permanent resident–green card holder–married to a U.S. citizen, Noor Abdalla, who is eight months pregnant with their first child. The Trump administration is pushing to deport him and other activists under a vague provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. This law allows the government to remove a non-citizen if it “has reasonable ground to believe” their presence could have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” This dangerously broad application of the law provides no legitimate justification for Khalil’s detention, yet President Trump has declared it “the first arrest of many to come.”

Khalil’s arrest is a direct attack on free speech, the right to protest, and due process—fundamental pillars of democracy. This sets a chilling precedent against dissent and silences anyone who disagrees with this administration's policy agenda. While the White House claimed that Khalil has ties to Hamas, no evidence has been brought forward that connects Khalil to the group and Khalil’s attorneys strongly deny this unproven claim. This is in line with President Trump’s ongoing crusade to silence the voices of those speaking out across college campuses against the genocide in Gaza, including the arrest of Leqaa Kordia over the weekend, another Palestinian rights activist at Columbia University. Despite claiming to be a free speech absolutist, President Trump is abusing government power to crush dissent. 

“As Asian Americans, we unequivocally condemn Mahmoud Khalil’s unconstitutional arrest and detention,” said Jasmine Rivera, co-executive director of Rising Voices. “History has shown that when authoritarian regimes silence dissent, they do not stop with one person or group, instead, they continue until no one is left to resist. Many in our community fled governments that silenced, jailed, or killed those who spoke out. We cannot remain silent as these same tactics are used in the U.S. If we allow this injustice to stand, we normalize political persecution and weaken the very freedoms that protect us all.”

For decades, students and young people in America have been at the forefront of anti-war movements, from the Vietnam War protests to today’s activism against the genocide in Gaza. Trump’s efforts to suppress campus organizing are an attack on academic freedom and democracy itself. We call on university leaders and elected officials in Michigan and around the country to defend students’ rights to protest and speak freely against injustice.

A federal judge temporarily halted Khalil’s deportation last week. However, we cannot rely on just the courts alone to defend our fundamental freedoms and rights, especially when we have an Executive Branch that has shown little respect for our justice system.

We call on all Asian Americans and allies to stand up, speak out, and take action. 

• Sign the petitions to demand Mahmoud Khalil’s immediate release from DHS detention and that Columbia University reverse its policy of permitting ICE on campus without a warrant. 

• Contact your members of Congress to demand accountability action against the Trump administration’s illegal acts and enforce checks on DHS and ICE. congress.gov/members/find-your-member 

• Share Noor Abdalla’s video of Khalil’s arrest by federal agents, initial statement, and recent interview with USA Today.  

• Donate to this official fundraiser to help Mahmoud Khalil and his family have funds for urgent and evolving needs.

• Stay up to date with developments about Khalil’s detention and court case from his attorneys at the Center for Constitutional Rights.  

• Attend local protests and rallies to show solidarity with those facing political persecution.

We must stand together to protect our democracy and exercise our political power. Solidarity with all marginalized communities is not just a moral duty—it is a necessity for our survival and protecting our democracy. If we do not speak out now, we may find ourselves next in line for persecution.

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Rising Voices, a project of the Center for Empowered Politics, is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization that seeks to increase the civic participation of Asian Americans in Michigan by developing the leadership, organizing, and power-building capacity of Asian American women, youth and communities. risingvoicesaaf.org