Why Mahmoud Khalil's Lawyer Is Losing Faith In The Justice System

About this episode

The episode discusses Mahmoud Khalil's detention and the implications for free speech and immigration law in America.

As student protests over Gaza sweep college campuses, one case is testing the limits of free speech and immigration law in America. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia student and lawful permanent resident, was arrested by ICE without a warrant and sent to a remote detention center in Louisiana—allegedly for his political advocacy. In this episode, we sit down with Khalil's lawyer Baher Azmy, who is also the Legal Director of the Center of Constitutional Rights, to unpack the disturbing legal maneuver behind Khalil’s detention: a rarely used immigration clause that gives the Secretary of State near-total discretion to deport individuals deemed a “foreign policy risk.” What does this case reveal about the future of dissent and academic freedom?

People in this episode

Guest: Baher Azmy

Topics covered

• free speech
• immigration law
• political advocacy
• detention
• academic freedom
• student protests
• foreign policy risk

Keywords

• Mahmoud Khalil
• Baher Azmy
• ICE
• detention center
• free speech
• immigration
• political advocacy
• academic freedom
• foreign policy risk
• student protests

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center of Constitutional Rights, Columbia, ICE

Places: Louisiana, America

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