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Council Member Avilés urges action on detention of Mahmoud Khalil

1:14:55

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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to stand up to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student whose green card and student visa was revoked when I showed up to his home removing him from his US citizen wife who is eight months pregnant.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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