Margaret Lloyd, Special to The Denisonian–
A defining feature of American democracy for decades has been the freedom to express one’s thoughts without fear of arrest or deportation.
However, the Trump administration’s actions against Israel’s genocide in Gaza represents a radical departure from one of our strongest American ideals. Immigration agents forcibly detained a PhD student in Somerville, Massachusetts, apprehended a Georgetown University postdoc in Washington, D.C, and arrested a recent graduate in front of his eight-month-pregnant wife in New York. All were arrested, apparently, for engaging in lawful political speech.
Such scenes bear an eerie resemblance to those in the world’s most repressive regimes.
This is not the first time the United States has gone after young adults advocating for the rights of Palestinians. Almost 40 years ago immigration officials in California arrested eight immigrants, including two permanent resistances, claiming they supported the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
After extensive investigation, the FBI concluded that these activists committed no crime, let alone terrorism. Nevertheless, the FBI urged immigration authorities to deport them and they were characterized as “anti-Reagan” emulating the Trump administration’s rhetoric.
The arrests of protesters may pose the greatest danger to the health of our democracy. Protests have been a catalyst for social change in this country for centuries. These students are far from being a threat to American democracy, rather, they are a reflection of the very values that had made America a beacon of hope. And it is difficult to imagine how Americans could reclaim their democracy without taking to the streets.
The arrests have not sparked widespread outrage, perhaps because these students are foreign, or because of the vilification of pro-Palesinian protesters by both significant political parties, many universities, and major media outlets. The Trump administration’s guarantee that they will crack down on student protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza has the outcome of creating a new system of speech code for immigrants.
The Trump administration, an administration that imprisons and expels foreign students for advocating for Palestinian rights is unlikely to stop here. Officials have indicated they will target naturalized citizens and legal permanent residents. The argument for canceling these students’ visas —- that our advocacy undermines U.S. foreign policy —- could easily be applied to those supporting any cause the Trump administration disapproves of due to its vague and dangerous assertion.
This trend will likely worsen, as the arrests of student protesters are purely a manifestation of a broader assault on democratic institutions and freedoms by the Trump administration. The administration is rapidly advancing authoritarian tactics–threatening the media, pressuring universities, such as Columbia, intimidating judges, and sanctioning lawyers perceived as political tactics. If this continues unchecked, full-fledged authoritarianism could soon be the American reality.
The arrests of pro-Palestinian students have already inflicted significant damage on American democracy. It is hard to fully understand how these actions have reshaped American universities in the last month. But the U.S. treatment of these immigrants should indeed shame
As the Trump administration continues its offensive on the fundamental rights of immigrants and citizens, Americans must recognize the grave implications of these actions. We risk allowing the forces of authoritarianism to gain irreversible authority in this country. The treatment of these people, and the repression of dissent, should serve as a wake-up call to all.
Margaret Lloyd ‘25 is a politics and public affairs major from Columbus.