Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University, is currently in ICE detention facing deportation proceedings—and the future of free speech in America hangs on the outcome of his case. Khalil, who has permanent resident status, was illegally abducted by ICE agents in front of his pregnant wife on March 8, sparking national and international outrage and raising alarms about what his extrajudicial abduction and imprisonment means for the present and future of civil liberties in Trump's America. Michael Arria, a reporter with Mondoweiss, joins The Marc Steiner Show to discuss the current status of Khalil’s case and the rapid escalation of Trump's crackdown on political dissent and the movement for Palestine.

Michael Arria is the  US correspondent at Mondoweiss, a website of news and opinion about Palestine, Israel, and the United States. He is also the author of Medium Blue: The Politics of MSNBC. 

Studio Production: David Hebden
Post-Production: Alina Nehlich

Read the transcript of this podcast here. 

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