More than two dozen people showed up for our Rally for Palestine that was held earlier today. Below is the text of remarks delivered by one of our members, Jeremy Sitarek, about two supporters of Palestine, Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk, who were taken as political prisoners by ICE on behalf of the Trump administration:
On March 8, 2025, Mahmoud Khalil was put in handcuffs and taken from his home in New York City by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mahmoud moved to the U.S. in 2022 on a student visa while pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University. He married his U.S. citizen wife in 2023 and became a legal permanent resident in 2024. Mahmoud’s wife, Noor Abdalla, is pregnant with their first child and is expecting in April 2025.
When ICE agents detained Mahmoud, they were acting on orders from the State Department to revoke Mahmoud’s student visa. Mahmoud’s wife presented his green card, proving he was a legal resident and ICE agents informed Mahmoud and Noor that they were also revoking his green card.
What horrendous act has Mahmoud committed to be taken from his pregnant wife, his home and threatened with deportation from a country where he holds legal status? Peaceful protest. Mahmoud has been a leading pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University. By supporting Palestine, which has seen the genocide of over 50,000 innocent civilians since October 7 of 2023 by the occupying state of Israel, he is labeled by the U.S. administration as a terrorist supporter.
Five days ago, on Tuesday, March 25, 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk was on her way to a friend's home when she was detained by ICE. Rumeysa has a valid F-1 visa, which allows her to pursue full-time academic studies at Tufts University where she was enrolled in a PhD program. Facing the same accusations as Mahmoud, the State Department deems Rumeysa a threat to foreign policy for her vocal support of Palestine.
Mahmoud and Rumeysa have no criminal charges against them.
The detaining of a legal U.S. resident for their political activism should terrify U.S. citizens because the rebirth of McCarthyism has arrived. In the 1950’s, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy helped initiate a nation-wide witch hunt for suspected communists. McCarthyism or the Red Scare resulted in the repression and persecution of individuals with left-wing ideologies and spread fear of communist and Soviet influence on American institutions. It was this historical period of paranoia and political oppression that allowed the passing of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. The exact act that is being used to detain Mahmoud and Rumeysa.
Eventually it came to light that McCarthy’s witch hunt was unsubstantiated, and he was criticized by colleagues and the public at large. McCarthy was on the wrong side of history, and if this administration continues to detain and deport legal residents for their political views, they will be on the wrong side of history as well.
We call for the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk.
Logan W. Cole, Secretary, Genesee County DSA
