We must protect our First Amendment rights. Add your name!

 

A WISE MAN ONCE SAID: I MAY NOT AGREE WITH YOU, BUT WILL DEFEND TO THE 

DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT! 

PROTECT FREE SPEECH! 

Dear MoveOn member,

The Trump administration's assault on our fundamental rights to free speech and protest is escalating, with the president recently ordering to have a protester arrested without cause.¹ Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil was taken from his home unlawfully by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), without a warrant and despite his status as a permanent resident. And, if President Trump gets his way, Khalil's arrest and possible deportation would be the first of many.²

Our government going on a crusade to arrest a permanent resident—with no evidence and no due cause—is terrifying. If it could happen to Khalil, it could happen to anyone. Will you sign the petition?

Amid cries of outrage and protest, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman blocked Khalil's deportation—for now. But his security is in limbo, and he remains detained as the courts determine what will happen next. Meanwhile, his eight-month-pregnant wife and his friends worry about Khalil's safety and future—anxious for him to return home to New York City from Louisiana where he was transferred.³

Khalil's case exposes the brutal reality of Trump's attacks on our fundamental rights—a deliberate crackdown on people exercising their First Amendment rights. This isn't about just one person; it's about defending our right to dissent and protest. And if we don't fight back, it will only escalate.

By revoking Khalil's permanent status solely for political reasons, Trump is setting a dangerous and disturbing precedent, leaving activists across social movements vulnerable. Right now, Trump is targeting pro-Palestinian-rights activists. But tomorrow it could be those fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, or abortion access. No one who speaks out is safe from his overreach.

Trump is testing the extent of his executive powers and his ability to intimidate and instill fear in everyday people who dare to speak out and protest. That's why we need to speak out and stop him here and now.

Add your name to the petition to urge members of Congress to protect our right to protest and STOP the persecution of Khalil!

Sign the Petition

Trump is also weaponizing federal funding to attack universities, using last year's student protests as a pretext for yet another round of brutal public service cuts. He recently threatened funding for more than 60 colleges and universities, with Columbia University—where Khalil studied—among the top targets. The administration has already canceled $400 million in federal funding for Columbia, punishing the university for allowing students to speak out.⁴

Let's be clear: This isn't about safety or creating welcoming campuses. If Trump cared about that, he wouldn't be gutting the very resources that protect students. This is yet another power grab—a way to divide everyday people, silence dissenters, gut our public programs, and strip away our rights. We won't allow it.

Trump doesn't get to decide who gets to protest and exercise their right to free speech. Will you sign the petition?

Republicans have frequently abused the First Amendment to evade accountability for their own hate speech, while simultaneously pushing for restrictions like book bans.⁵ It's clear that they are willing to say and do anything, including sell out the civil and constitutional rights of everyday people, in order to align themselves with Trump.⁶

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned, "Anyone—left, right, or center—who has highlighted the importance of constitutional rights and free speech should be sounding the alarm now."7 And that is exactly what we intend to do.

We need every single person to speak out and defend against Trump's attacks on free speech and political dissent. Click here to sign the petition and then share with three friends to help spread the word.

Thanks for all you do.

–MoveOn

P.S. This petition was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition to push for progressive change here.

Sources:

1. "Judge temporarily blocks effort to deport Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests," CNN, March 11, 2025 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/10/us/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-israel-hnk/index.html

2. "Trump calls arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil 'first of many to come,'" The Guardian, March 10, 2025 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/10/trump-arrest-palestinian-activist-mahmoud-khalil

3. "Judge says Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil can't be deported from U.S. as protesters call for his release," NBC News, March 10, 2025 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/demonstrators-take-nycs-federal-plaza-mahmoud-khalil-arrested-ice-rcna195602

4. "Trump Officials Warn 60 Colleges of Possible Antisemitism Penalties," The New York Times, March 10, 2025 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/us/politics/trump-colleges-antisemitism.html

5. "The conservative assault on civil liberties," The Week, April 22, 2021 https://theweek.com/articles/978659/conservative-assault-civil-liberties

6. "'Free Mahmoud Khalil': Progressives Demand Release of 'Disappeared' Columbia Grad," Common Dreams, March 10, 2025 https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-detained

7. Ibid

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