Poppy Press

Will UCLA be the next university to comply?

Nothing points toward no.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, two plainclothes Department of Homeland Security agents forced their way into the apartment building of Mahmoud Khalil, a recently graduated student from Columbia University who has a green card.

The agents detained Mahmoud without explanation or identifying themselves. They threatened to arrest his wife, who is an American citizen and 8-months pregnant.

Mahmoud was told his green card had been revoked by the Department of State on the spot, and agents hung up on his attorney when they asked where he was – for 36 hours, no one knew where he was. He was subsequently forcibly transferred to the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana. On Monday, a New York federal court judge temporarily blocked his deportation “until the Court orders otherwise.”

Mahmoud’s abduction should horrify you. You should be distressed by the fact that this administration is attempting to terminate green cards and weaponizing immigration status as a way to silence dissent. You should be infuriated that this administration is showing that anyone is a viable target.

Mahmoud has been targeted by a doxxing campaign by Zionists led by Columbia professor Shai Davidai, in large part because he is Palestinian but also because of his involvement in the Palestine Solidarity Encampment and his outspokeness against Israel’s genocide of his people.

In the days leading up to his abduction, Mahmoud asked Columbia for protection, as he resided in a Columbia-owned property and had been the target of doxxing and death threats. Clearly, the university failed him.

In fact, Columbia has told its students and staff that they “should not interfere” in “exigent circumstances”: if and when ICE agents attempt to enter university buildings without warrants.

In November when false claims of an international student at UCLA being deported started to circulate and prominent right-wing figures started cheering for what would have been wide overstepping of constitutional rights of a student wherever they are from – the institution stayed silent.

When Trump signed an executive order that allows for the deportation of international students and protesters on college campuses – the university stayed silent.

And at this time while a permanent U.S resident was abducted, with the full cooperation of Columbia University, Julio Frenk has yet to speak on anything else but the banning of SJP and the rejection of anti-Israel sentiments.

Columbia allowed their alum to be kidnapped.

What’s to say UCLA won’t do the same when ICE comes knocking?

We want the university to say outright and clearly that they will not support nor cooperate with federal agencies abducting and deporting their own students on campus grounds. Silence at this time is an admission of guilt and a sign of support.

Responding to a call by National Students for Justice in Palestine, SJP at UCLA has organized a walkout for Mahmoud Khalil.

The walkout will take place at noon Tuesday (3/11) in Royce Quad. Reject DHS and ICE abductions and the targeting of pro-Palestinian students, and join the walkout.