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Council Member Avilés urges action on detention of Mahmoud Khalil

1:14:55

·

76 sec

Council Member Alexa Avilés makes a passionate plea for the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student detained for exercising his First Amendment rights in support of Palestinian rights. She condemns the action as an assault on democracy, human rights, and due process.

  • Avilés describes Khalil as having his green card and student visa revoked, separating him from his pregnant US citizen wife.
  • She characterizes the detention as the "first disappearance of someone here legally" in the United States.
  • Avilés warns that this action sets a dangerous precedent, asking her colleagues to consider "who is next" if such detentions are allowed.
Alexa Avilés
1:14:55
So I urge my colleagues to stand up to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student whose green card and student visa was revoked when I showed up to his home removing him from his US citizen wife who is eight months pregnant.
1:15:12
His offense, standing up for Palestinian rights, exercising his first amendment rights.
1:15:19
Make no mistake, if you thought that you'd never see it here in The United States, this is the first disappearance of someone here legally.
1:15:30
This is authoritarianism.
1:15:34
This is an assault against our democracy, an assault against the first amendment rights, an assault against human rights, an assault to due process.
1:15:46
If you are not alarmed, you are not paying attention.
1:15:51
Jailing people for their beliefs is wholly un American and quite frankly frightening.
1:15:59
Free Mahmoud Khalil now.
1:16:02
We should never allow this in this country and you must ask yourself who is next.
1:16:09
Thank you.
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