Jewish Activists for Immigration Justice of Western Massachusetts decries ICE’s arrest and threatened deportation of green card holder Mahmoud Khalil. Despite not being charged with a crime, Khalil is currently in detention thousands of miles away from his pregnant wife because he participated in Gaza-related protests, a First Amendment right.

Regardless of people’s differing opinions on the Middle East conflict, arresting people for protesting is a dangerous precedent for our democracy. We also join the many Jewish organizations who reject the administration’s claim that arresting pro-Palestinian activists is a means of combating antisemitism. Targeting protesters who are exercising freedom of speech does not make Jews — or anyone else — safer.

Turning a blind eye as ICE expands its reach beyond legal limits endangers all of us. We must speak out forcefully against this and other recent rogue actions by ICE, and demand that they follow the protocols established by law, and reject the government’s racist narrative that criminalizes and demeans immigrants when the vast majority are fleeing danger and seeking safety in the U.S.

We encourage all residents of our community (citizens, green card or temporary visa holders, refugees, asylum-seekers, undocumented residents, and people with TPS, DACA or humanitarian parole) to educate themselves on their legal rights, should they be confronted by ICE. And we encourage citizens, especially, to protect our immigrant neighbors through mindful information-giving, witnessing and ally-ship.

You can get more information on legal rights for both immigrants and allies from the Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition at miracoalition.org/news/know-your-rights/.

D. Dina Friedman

Jewish Activists for Immigration Justice, Hadley