Statements On the Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil
This is a collection of statements put out in March 2025 by Jewish Social Justice Roundtable organizations. This list will be updated frequently as new statements become public.
The Roundtable and our affiliates are non-partisan,* we stand together collectively to build a future that allows us all to thrive.
On Bluesky, Bend the Arc says, “The White House's authoritarian actions are being falsely done in our name as Jews, by a President and politicians who actively use antisemitism and do not speak for Jews. … Free speech and education are pillars of our democracy, and a healthy democracy is what keeps Jews safest.“
Carolina Jews for Justice states, “Anyone who wants to live in a free and fair society should call this out for what it is — fascism!”
On Bluesky, HIAS stated, “This action was taken under the guise of combatting antisemitism, a very real threat that requires education & engagement — not limiting the civil liberties of others.”
On Bluesky Jewish Council for Public Affairs’ (JCPA) CEO, Amy Spitalnick says, “Our community should not be used as an excuse to upend democracy & the rule of law.”
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA) stated, “These blatant violations of our Constitution's First Amendment rights should alarm every American who supports civil liberties and the rule of law”.
On Bluesky, Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) stated, “This extreme escalation is an egregious violation of first amendment rights. Now is the moment to speak out and oppose this as fiercely and loudly as possible.”
New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA) reacts to detention and potential deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, “In the long tradition of Jewish advocates who have defended those with whom we disagree, our values call on us to defend the freedom of speech and right to due process even of those whose expression we may abhor. No one is made freer or safer by a federal government that tramples on even the lesser due process rights available to green card holders.”
On Bluesky, T’ruah says, “The news of this blatantly unconstitutional arrest should send a chill down the spine of anyone who cares about democracy. Illegally detaining a student (and threatening to revoke their green card) because of their protected free speech will not make Jewish students on campus safer.” T’ruah also published “An Open Letter from Jewish Clergy Calling for the Release of Mahmoud Khalil.”
On Bluesky, The Workers Circle says, “We call B.S. on Trump’s vile use of antisemitism to justify Mr. Khalil’s arrest. This doesn’t make Jews safer — it’s a dangerous abuse of power. We know these Stasi tactics well, and we refuse to be used as tools in violating the Constitution.”
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), and American Conference of Cantors (ACC, which is not a Roundtable affiliate) issued the Reform Movement Statement on Importance of Rule of Law and Due Process, “As the facts continue to emerge, we are clear that as Americans, we must protect due process, the essential right to protest, and the expression of free speech, even when such speech is hateful, causes pain, or targets us.”
Several Roundtable affiliates (ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Bend the Arc, Habonim Dror North America, New Israel Fund, New York Jewish Agenda, Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, and T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights) signed on to New Jewish Narrative’s Joint Letter to Secretary Noem, saying “We are especially deeply disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the apprehension and detention of Mahmoud Khalil. Arresting and/or deporting people because of their political views goes against the very foundation of our national identity and is profoundly un-American.”
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