U.S. immigration authorities last week canceled the visa of Brown University doctor Rasha Alawieh and refused her return to the U.S. from Lebanon, where she attended the funeral rally of Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah. New York Times and PBS coverage of her deportation claimed she was only in Lebanon visiting family.

Likewise, when U.S. immigration authorities arrested rabid Hamas supporter Mahmoud Khalil and revoked his visa and green card, the media and progressive NGOs protested the U.S. was depriving Khalil of freedom of speech. They neglected to mention allegations he committed unlawful acts at Columbia University and supported the savage war crimes of Hamas.

Many leftists, including members of the Democratic Party and civil rights organizations argue that Khalil is being persecuted merely for supporting Palestinians. Indeed, Brian Hauss, attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, said of the Trump administration, “No president can be allowed to set an ideological litmus test and exclude or remove people from our country with whom they disagree.”

Similarly, many progressive media condemned Khalil’s arrest and detention. The New Yorker, for example, called Khalil’s detention “a flagrant assault on free speech.” David French, opinion columnist in the New York Times, wrote, “The Trump administration is targeting a former Columbia student—and the university itself—as a test case for its new authoritarian regime.”

In fact, Khalil’s arrest and pending deportation have no connection to free speech. Rather, they are meant to ensure that visitors given the privilege of residing in the United States do not abuse their welcome—or federal immigration statutes—by promoting terrorism and breaking laws.

Disingenuous attempts by media, NGOs and progressive politicians to mount false defenses of speech freedom misrepresent the issue. Guests in the United States—on visas or green cards—are not citizens and not entitled to citizenship rights. They are required to comply with local laws and not provide support to terrorist organizations or entities that threaten national security.

Let’s be clear: Those who support Alaweih and Khalil are abetting some of the world’s most vicious war criminals—terrorists who murdered, raped, incinerated, kidnapped and tortured American citizens. This isn’t about free speech—it’s about protecting our country—legally—from radicals who militantly oppose it.

Khalil openly and aggressively supported a terrorist enemy of the U.S. He distributed Hamas propaganda, including a document titled “Our Narrative…Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” with the logo of the “Hamas Media Office” on it. A video post on X (formerly Twitter) shows Khalil justifying Hamas terrorism, saying, “We’ve tried armed resistance, which is legitimate under international law, but Israel calls it terrorism.”

Khalil is one of the prominent leaders in Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which dedicates itself to overthrowing Western civilization and declared its support for Hamas on several occasions. Earlier this month, he helped illegally occupy a building at Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia, protesting the expulsion of anti-Israel students for disrupting a classroom and distributing pro-Hamas propaganda.

Outrageously, the mainstream media describe this activity merely as “pro-Palestinian.” A NewsBusters study of 28 protest stories of “PBS News Hour” coverage in the spring of 2024, for example, found 29 uses of “pro-Palestinian” labels and zero uses of “pro-Hamas.” Why do mainstream media whitewash support for terrorists?

Breaking the law and breaching school policies do not constitute free speech. A letter signed by more than 100 House Democrats accuses the Trump Administration of arresting and detaining Khalil “simply for exercising his First Amendment right to free speech.”

In fact, Khalil was reputedly a ringleader in the takeover of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall and the illegal encampment on campus. Columbia’s rules prohibit unauthorized gatherings, disruptions of university functions, and occupation of campus spaces without permission.

As a highly visible spokesperson in these activities, Khalil is almost surely guilty of violating Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, race, and national origin. Indeed, Jewish students were regularly harassed by Khalil’s gang of pro-Hamas thugs, who termed their encampment a “Zionist-free zone,” as “Zionist” students, thus denying access to Jewish students.

None of these violations constitutes free speech. In fact, it was Khalil and company who violated the rights of others by creating an environment in which Jewish students—and anyone who supports Israel—feared for their safety.

Khalil’s case has nothing to do with free speech. Last week, a CNN article claimed that in light of Khalil’s case, students are now “being forced to think carefully before exercising their constitutionally protected right to free speech.” But Khalil’s case has no connection to free speech. Rather, it is about violating immigration laws.

As a green card-holder, he does not enjoy the same right to free speech accorded to U.S. citizens. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Khalil can be deported for engaging in “criminal activity which endangers public safety or national security” or “any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means…”

Khalil can also be deported for endorsing and espousing terrorist activity and/or for persuading others to do so, or to support a terrorist organization. Finally, the U.S. Secretary of State can order deportation if he has reasonable grounds to believe Khalil’s presence has serious adverse U.S. foreign policy consequences.

Free speech in the U.S. is not under threat. Yet, we see headlines like the Guardian’s “The US assault on free speech is not going to end with Mahmoud Khalil” and Bloomberg’s “Columbia student’s deportation arrest should scare all Americans.” This is clearly an attempt to panic the public by asserting their First Amendment rights are being attacked. The truth: The U.S. Government is attacking foreign law-breakers and terrorism supporters like Mahmoud Khalil— not the right to free speech.

Residing in the U.S. is not a right, it’s a privilege—visitors are subject to certain obligations, which include refraining from support of terrorism or breaking the law. Khalil failed to fulfil these obligations and will suffer the consequences.

Please make the point when speaking with family, friends, colleagues—or in letters to the editor—that visa and green-card holders like Khalil deserve to be deported immediately, as they have violated a sacred trust and endangered us, their hosts. Officials and media who defend such foreign violators—supporters of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations and supporters of violence and law-breaking—betray their profession and the public trust.

If you agree we need to spread this truth, please use your email browser to forward this Hotline issue to fellow lovers of Israel—and encourage them to join us by subscribing to the Hotline at no charge.

Best regards,
James Sinkinson, President
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S.      Too often, American citizens take comfort in their insulation from Islamist violence roiling the Middle East, as well as cities in Europe. But the jihadists are clear that fighting Jews and Israel is just the beginning. At rallies in Iran—and increasingly in the U.S.—the crowds scream, “Death to Israel, Death to America.” They understand that Israel is just the tip of the spear of Western Civilization—because Israel was the birthplace of so many Western values. Today the Jewish state stands as one of the strongest democracies in the world—a defender of liberty and enemy of oppressive Middle East dictatorships and terrorism. I hope you’ll agree that we supporters of the Israel-U.S. relationship need to speak out. FLAME’s new hasbarah—explanatory message—“Israel’s War Is America’s War”—describes how Israel massively defends United States interests in the Middle East and how Israel represents a roadblock to Islamic expansion worldwide. Finally, it explains why the recent U.S. foreign policy of soft diplomacy and appeasement of Iran has failed consistently. Please review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME intends to publish to millions—in leading social media, as well as in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Tampa Bay Times, Denver Post and Los Angeles Times. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, the President and Vice President. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us with a donation.

As of today, more than 25,000 Israel supporters receive the FLAME Hotline at no charge every week. If you’re not yet a subscriber, won’t you join us in receiving these timely updates, so you can more effectively tell the truth about Israel? Just go to free subscription.