As protests arise and First Amendment questions mount surrounding the immigration detention of Mahmoud Khalil, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., penned and circulated a letter demanding the immediate release of the recent Columbia University graduate.
It found little support among Tlaib’s colleagues in Washington, with a mere 14 Democrats signing their names on the letter condemning Khalil’s detention as an “illegal abduction.”
Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., who counts Khalil as one of his constituents, did not sign the letter. When contacted by The Intercept about the case, Espaillat said he expects the Trump administration — which has explicitly flouted and sought to circumscribe federal legal protections for civil liberties — to adhere to the rule of law.
The Trump administration itself has admitted the case against Khalil does not hinge on allegations that he broke the law and told a conservative news outlet that it will these proceedings as a blueprint to target other students.
It’s hard to empathize because a tiny sect of people may have chosen not to vote for Joe Biden? Their votes certainly wouldn’t have impacted the election. They might as well protest vote. Do you think everybody who you decide made a misguided or stupid decision deserves massive consequences? Are we so retributive now that we can’t empathize with people because they didn’t fight against the consequences correctly beforehand?