US federal agents arrest one Columbia University activist, Mahmoud Khalil, last month without warrant. Dem talk say dem fear say e fit run before dem fit get warrant, na wetin new court documents show.
“Normally, dem suppose get warrant before dem arrest person. But e get exception wey dey if immigration officer believe say di person fit escape before dem fit get warrant,” na wetin di government lawyers talk for court on Thursday.
Di government lawyers talk say Khalil no cooperate and dem claim say e talk say e wan comot di scene. But video wey him wife, Noor Abdalla, wey dey pregnant at dat time, record show say di matter no be as dem talk.
Dem also talk say Khalil no carry him green card, wey be small offence. According to USCIS, anybody wey get Green Card suppose carry am anytime.
Khalil, wey organise protest last year for him campus against Israel war for Gaza, wey later spread go other US campuses, dem arrest am on March 8 for him university apartment for New York City. Dem say na part of di Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestine activism.
“Dis one na another desperate move by di Trump administration to justify di illegal arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, wey be human rights defender,” na wetin him lawyer, Amy Greer, talk. She still add say Khalil dey calm and follow di agents order during di arrest.
Another lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, talk say di government don finally admit say dem no get warrant to arrest Khalil. E talk say di whole world don already see di truth.
Di Trump administration accuse Khalil say e dey do things wey align with Hamas, but dem never show any evidence for court. Dem never charge am for any crime.
Khalil still dey detention for Louisiana and e miss di birth of him first pikin after ICE no gree release am temporarily.
Crackdown on pro-Palestine activism
Khalil arrest na di first one for di Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestine activism. Few days later, dem arrest another pro-Palestine student, Badar Khan Suri, wey be Indian researcher for Georgetown University. Him lawyer talk say dem arrest am because him wife na Palestinian.
After Suri arrest, dem go after another pro-Palestine student, Momodou Taal, tell am make e surrender himself.
On March 25, one Columbia University student, Yunseo Chung, talk say she sue di Trump administration to stop dem from deporting her because she join pro-Palestine protest last Spring.
Di same day, Ozturk, wey dey do PhD for Tufts University, dem kidnap am for broad daylight because e criticise Israel actions for Gaza.
Last week, dem arrest Mohsen Mahdwai, another pro-Palestine activist and Columbia student, during him citizenship interview.
Other students like Leqaa Kordia, Ranjani Srinivasan, and Alireza Doroudi don either dey detained or dem don self-deport.
