ACLU’s Bhandari: You May Find Mahmoud Khalil’s Viewpoints Offensive But ‘the Constitution Protects Them’

SHARPTON An attorney for ░░░░░░░░ appearing on MSNBC last ░░░░░░░░ called his detention a ░░░░░░░░ case as you ve ░░░░░░░░ said for other politically ░░░░░░░░ deportations So I assume ░░░░░░░░ agree since you ve ░░░░░░░░ much of the same ░░░░░░░░ few minutes ago here ░░░░░░░░ I do agree Mr ░░░░░░░░ s case is going ░░░░░░░░ be the first of ░░░░░░░░ according to the administration ░░░░░░░░ is not going to ░░░░░░░░ the first person who ░░░░░░░░ going to be targeted ░░░░░░░░ immigration consequences for his ░░░░░░░░ speech I think one ░░░░░░░░ important thing to emphasize ░░░░░░░░ is the government has ░░░░░░░░ explicit that they are ░░░░░░░░ re not saying he ░░░░░░░░ the law They are ░░░░░░░░ very explicit that the ░░░░░░░░ he is being detained ░░░░░░░░ the reason they are ░░░░░░░░ to revoke his green ░░░░░░░░ is because of his ░░░░░░░░ his expression and his ░░░░░░░░ work Now people may ░░░░░░░░ or disagree with Mr ░░░░░░░░ s viewpoints They may ░░░░░░░░ find them offensive But ░░░░░░░░ Constitution protects them He ░░░░░░░░ a lawful permanent resident ░░░░░░░░ who is entitled to ░░░░░░░░ full protections of the ░░░░░░░░ Amendment And if the ░░░░░░░░ can do this to ░░░░░░░░ Khalil they can do ░░░░░░░░ to anyone else and ░░░░░░░░ can do it on ░░░░░░░░ other issue Whether it ░░░░░░░░ climate change whether it ░░░░░░░░ your views on the ░░░░░░░░ s trade war whether ░░░░░░░░ s your views on ░░░░░░░░ policy involving Ukraine and ░░░░░░░░ the government can invoke ░░░░░░░░ very same authority against ░░░░░░░░ voice that opposes its ░░░░░░░░ SHARPTON And again you ░░░░░░░░ as you said you ░░░░░░░░ t have to agree ░░░░░░░░ it s to me ░░░░░░░░ someone standing up for ░░░░░░░░ speech and civil rights ░░░░░░░░ my life it s ░░░░░░░░ Do you fear there ░░░░░░░░ be more cases like ░░░░░░░░ BHANDARI Certainly We ve ░░░░░░░░ seen the administration target ░░░░░░░░ students as well including ░░░░░░░░ other student specifically at ░░░░░░░░ University who the administration ░░░░░░░░ had her visa revoked ░░░░░░░░ for her views And ░░░░░░░░ administration has promised to ░░░░░░░░ this so we re ░░░░░░░░ reading tea leaves here ░░░░░░░░ know that the administration ░░░░░░░░ announced a policy specifically ░░░░░░░░ using immigration law to ░░░░░░░░ against people in the ░░░░░░░░ for their constitutionally protected ░░░░░░░░ activity for their opinions ░░░░░░░░ views they express the ░░░░░░░░ they participate in And ░░░░░░░░ is not going to ░░░░░░░░ the last case And ░░░░░░░░ think what s especially ░░░░░░░░ is it won t ░░░░░░░░ restricted to this issue ░░░░░░░░ particular We ve already ░░░░░░░░ the administration for example ░░░░░░░░ after other organizations that ░░░░░░░░ thinks disagree with its ░░░░░░░░ like Georgetown Law for ░░░░░░░░ over its policies on ░░░░░░░░ equity and inclusion So ░░░░░░░░ s not going to ░░░░░░░░ just this issue You ░░░░░░░░ it s not going ░░░░░░░░ be just non citizens ░░░░░░░░ immigrants I think this ░░░░░░░░ SHARPTON It could be ░░░░░░░░ across the board BHANDARI ░░░░░░░░ could be used across ░░░░░░░░ board And I think ░░░░░░░░ this should trouble everyone ░░░░░░░░ I think this is ░░░░░░░░ cross party issue We ░░░░░░░░ seen people regardless of ░░░░░░░░ views on the conflict ░░░░░░░░ regardless of their political ░░░░░░░░ express how troubled they ░░░░░░░░ about this attack on ░░░░░░░░ Amendment rights.”