Deporting Columbia Student Won’t Hold Up in Court: Noah Feldman

The Trump administration came into office claiming to stand for free speech. Yet the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident who led pro-Palestinian student protests at Columbia University, has dealt a serious blow to the First Amendment.

Going back to 1941, the Supreme Court has held that resident noncitizens have free-speech rights. Deporting Khalil for his political speech would violate this basic freedom — and set back First Amendment rights for all Americans.

Although President Donald Trump posted news of the arrest on Truth Social, the administration has not officially explained its legal grounds for seeking to ...