Deportations and Free Speech
Is the Trump Administration going too far?
Growing up in the Bainbridge section of the Bronx, and later Rockland County, New York, there were plenty of Irish immigrants in the community. Not all of them were legal; some had sneaked into the country or overstayed work visas. Others had permanent resident alien green cards or were citizens. Most, but not all, were hardworking and looking to make a life in America.
Back in the 70’s and 80’s, The Troubles in Northern Ireland were in the headlines and often the topic of conversation in Irish-American communities. Not really in my family, we were more concerned with American politics than what was going on in Ireland. But we knew what problems existed and the players in the conflict. We didn’t donate money or go to rallies, but certainly people in our communities did.
Sinn Fein was a political party that supported Northern Ireland’s independence from Great Britain. They had close ties, and some say control, of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. A brief google history of the Provo’s activities provides no doubt that they were a terrorist organization -- bombing restaurants, buses, and hotels. They also attempted political assassinations.
In 1995, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams marched in the Pearl River, NY Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. It was kind of a big deal. We watched him march down Central Avenue to cheers from most parade goers, both immigrant and native-born Americans. This man was known to walk a fine line between politician and terrorist.
If the federal government was in the crowd monitoring crowd reaction to Gerry Adams’ appearance and working to determine who was a citizen, we would have been outraged. Our opinion on the conflict in Northern Ireland would be secondary to our concern for our 1st Amendment rights.
Would we have even attended this event if we knew we were going to be watched? Even full citizens might have been intimidated. Non-citizens, even legal ones, probably would have just stayed home. Who needs problems with the feds?
Clapping for Gerry Adams should not be a reason to deport a person with permanent resident alien status and a family, job, house, and life in the United States. I don’t think that many people would support that type of action from our government.
So – is that where we are now?
We, as a nation, must be careful about how we treat people who speak out against causes we do not like. After all, this is the birthplace of freedom of speech, and that means distinctions have to be made. Cheering for a cause is not the same as material support for terrorism. Speaking out at a rally is not the same as inciting a riot. Writing an article, even one that seems extreme, is not the same as conspiring to commit terror. Calling for an end to violence is not the same as calling for genocide.
In recent weeks the Trump Administration has collected several students and professors and detained them. None of these people were citizens, but none of them were here illegally to the best of their knowledge. Some were here on work or student visas. Some were green card holders, people with permanent resident status who have built a life here in the United States. None of them are accused of committing a crime.
These people are, however, supporters of the Palestinian cause to varying degrees. Some appear to be Hamas supporters. One even allegedly associated with Hamas leaders. Others do not appear to have direct ties to Hamas but accuse Israel of genocide or call for sanctions against that nation.
One such person is Tufts student and Turkish national, Rumeysa Ozturk. She is a Fullbright Scholar here on a valid student visa since 2018.
We do not share the beliefs of Ozturk. We support Israel’s right to fight for the security of its citizens. This is a war. Casualties are high on both sides.
Ozturk penned an article for the Tufts University newspaper speaking out against the actions of Israel. The article was written by Ozturk and four other Tufts students. The article calls for Tuft University to acknowledge what she calls Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. The article also wanted Tufts to implement the boycott, divest, sanction platform against the nation of Israel. The article in no way advocates for Hamas, Palestinian fighters, or a Palestinian State. No mention of “from the river to the sea.” Ozturk may believe these things; we don’t know. But the article is relatively mild. No calls for violence or protest.
The Trump Administration arrested Ozturk on the street near her apartment and withdrew her visa. They attempted to deport her without bringing her case to an immigration judge.
Perhaps she should be deported. Maybe she is calling for violence in another forum. Let an immigration court decide before throwing her out of the country. Or is an unpopular opinion always enough to revoke a visa?
We are less concerned with her individually than we are with the message it sends to the other authors of that article, who are presumably American citizens. The right to free speech is important.
There are others who are in this situation. Mahmoud Khalil is a permanent resident with a wife and child on the way. He was arrested on Columbia University’s campus for deportation. His actions may be worthy of such treatment – if so, let a court decide.
We decried the Biden Administration when they meddled with social media posts with no legal process. We do the same here. Let people speak. When they do something wrong, bring them to court. If we want to deny entry, deny it.
To turn the tables, imagine, God forbid, AOC becomes our President in some dystopian future (frightening, but it could happen). She could order her administration to ally the United States with the Palestinian cause.
Would we want Homeland Security to start rounding up Israeli students here on visas who speak out against Palestinian violence? Of course not. We would want the courts to step in.
The Trump Administration’s actions could set a dangerous precedent. Mr. President, err on the side of free speech.
Thanks for reading The Ops Desk. Stay Safe.