Actually, it isn’t, at least for green card holders, of which Mahmoud Khalil was one. U.S. Code § 1182 states that “any alien” who is “a representative” of “a political, social, or other group that endorses or espouses terrorist activity” is “inadmissible.” U.S. Code § 1227 adds that such an alien “is deportable.” The Associated Press described Khalil two weeks ago as one of the “student leaders of Columbia University Apartheid Divest” (CUAD). The Washington Post reported last Tuesday that “No one disputes that Khalil was the face of Columbia University Apartheid Divest.”
“Sami Al-Arian, Former SFU Professor Deported For Terror Links, Defends Mahmoud Khalil: It Is Not Illegal To Be Pro-Hamas – Supreme Court Rulings Allow Membership In Any Group; American Values Are Being Shredded To Save Zionism From Its Inevitable Fate,” MEMRI, March 12, 2025:
Former South Florida University professor Sami Al-Arian, who was deported from the United States to Turkey due to his terror links, discussed the arrest of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil in a March 12, 2025 interview. He suggested that “American cherished principles have been shredded by this administration and previous ones” in order to “save Zionism from its inevitable fate.” Al-Arian argued that even if Khalil were pro-Hamas, it is not illegal to support Hamas, but rather to provide aid to a terrorist group. He further claimed that the Supreme Court has ruled that a person can be a member of a U.S.-designated terror group but cannot aid it.
Sami Al-Arian was charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. He was convicted, served time in federal prison, and was deported to Turkey, where he currently serves as a professor of public affairs and the director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Sabahattin Zaim University in Istanbul. On April 26, 2024, Al-Arian posted a photo of his wife, Nahla Al-Arian, at the Columbia University encampment on X – formerly Twitter. On May 1, he addressed the student encampment at the University of Chicago and on May 6, 2024, he published an op-ed in support of the anti-Israel campus activism on the website of Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
Jeremy Scahill: “Last Saturday night, Mahmoud Khalil, who is a recent graduate of Columbia University, who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, a Green Card holder, married to an American citizen – she’s eight months pregnant – [was] snatched from his university housing, initially disappeared into the ICE system.”
[…]
Sami Al-Arian: “It’s incredible how American values, the American constitution, American cherished principles have been shredded by this administration and other former administrations, all because they are trying to save Zionism from its inevitable fate.
[…]
“Whether he [Mahmoud Khalil] is pro-Hamas or not, that’s even still… By the way, it is legal in the United States to be pro-Hamas. There is nothing more protected… I remember during my trial, the judge himself said, you could be pro-whatever, what you cannot do is to aid them. I believe also that the Supreme Court said that in different rulings and cases, in which a person can even be a member, they can be a member of any group, but what they cannot do is to aid that group. So for him to say that he is a member of Hamas, even though there is zero evidence that that is the case, is just a slap on the face of this whole history. So what I think is going to happen, it’s an attempt by them to please his donors, to please his benefactors, to please his Zionist friends. We’ve seen during the [Trump] campaign, people have given him hundreds of millions of dollars, like Bill Ackman and Miriam Adelson, and others.”
Edward McMunn says
Now if we can get all of the commies and islama-nazis out of our schools ( and the country at large) we just might save this natiom.
Anthony Fernandes says
We don’t have too much time Trump has just got another three and a half years
Wellington says
Somewhat off topic but not really. Here is how appeasing Islam is presently occurring with the new Governor of Delaware who is no better than the previous Governor of Delaware who yearly celebrated Kwanzaa.
America is still led by many useful idiots. Some are Republican but almost without exception every Democrat is a useful idiot or something even worse, i.e., actively and knowingly undermining America like Omar and Tlaib are.
OLD GUY says
I almost consider Omar and Tlaib as traitors, they don’t represent the American citizens, they represent Islam.
rick says
This is like Joseph Goebbels defending the right of Adolf Hitler to be an anti-Semite.
somehistory says
It may be “legal” to be in support of hamas, but not legal in all actions and words.
It may be “legal” to say hamas is some kind of wonderful, but it sure is immoral, unethical, inhumane and totally evil to the point of demonic possession.
May Divine Justice soon befall all like this evil ghoul. May he reap as abundantly as he has sown.
tgusa says
Even for a 10th generation American it is illegal to take over a building, to hold people hostage, to obstruct the rights of others. Over history America has endured many a group that held abhorrent and detestable views. Hamas is just the latest one.
tgusa says
Green card guy and his supporters think established traditional Americans haven’t seen this crap before? Who do they think they are dealing with? Are they really that stupid? Have they mistaken the whole of the American population as mentally ill leftists? To the non leftist American it is hard to believe but they really are that stupid.
tgusa says
I will use leftist speak and say that his Green card has been Red flagged.
sporticus says
Sami said the judge said….blah blah…
Did he, the judge?
And if he did, that’s why there are higher courts.
If the USA has proscribed Hamas as a terrorist group, it’s surely not ok for anyone in the U.S. to publicly whip up support (proselytizing) for that group. Giving aid and comfort doesn’t just mean sending money and guns.
WPM says
It is not legal to support a group that threating people ,taking over a building keeping students from attending class ,destruction of private and public property. Also a non-citizen who is here on a green cards or student visa can be expelled if he supports a group that calls for the over throw of the government or supports a known terrorist group. .Yes he can be removed he is a non-citizen who is living in America he broken the law by threating people ,blocking access to classes for many students ,private and public property has been damaged .A citizen doing this should be arrested (why the student who are citizens doing this are not arrest is part of the problem) he is a non-citizen guest he should be deported., The appeasement of rioters ,arsonist, looters ,of the BLM summer of love 2020 has lead us to this .We have enough of our own knot heads who are legal citizen who practice terrorism threats violence to get their own way ,we do not need to import others on student visas.
WPM says
They make sound like he was “kidnaped” he was “snatched” off campus! His “wife” is 8 months pregnant ! So what if I commit a crime or are accused of a crime as a citizen I will be arrest .It could be the crime of murder ,it could be a DUI ,it could an shop lifting ,in all cases I will be arrested and processed .If he is a “student” with a pregnant wife ,he should obey the law or face arrest ,you see if you break the law as a citizen or non-citizen you face chances of being arrested and being taken from your family. This common sense fact is beyond the woke thinking MSM .Does he get extra rights over a citizen being a brown person ,a Moslem ,on a green card breaking the law and being arrested for it ,and being removed from his family? Your actions as a responsible adult effect your wife and children ,but I forgot Moslems according to Mohamad as the best of people the laws of the unbelievers do not apply to them .
maria v says
These rabid jihadists are gaining ground in America, especially in Texas where they were welcomed in 1990.
Please check out this video and pass it to anyone who thinks Muslims should be given full reign in our country.
https://actforamerica.substack.com/p/shariah-in-america?utm_source=podcast-email&publication_id=1572031&post_id=160076412&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_content=watch_now_button&r=2t8ykt&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email