[ONLINE] Detentions of Mahmoud Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, Mohsen Mahdawi

This event is part of an occasional SFDebate series that we call "cancellation of the month", where we pick someone who has been in the news for having lost a job, a platform, a contract, or a nomination, and there is a lot of public debate, usually polarized, about whether or not the person deserved it. We look at the reasons given for the "cancellation", and discuss whether or not we think those were good reasons. Then at the end, we vote on our approval or disapproval of the "cancellation."

This time, we'll debate the merits of the U.S. government's detention and stated intent to expel three foreign nationals out of the country because of their activities in support of Palestinians and against the Israeli government while students at American universities:

1. Mahmoud Khalil, recent Columbia University graduate and lawful permanent resident of the U.S., detained by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 8, 2025.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_Mahmoud_Khalil
   As legal authority for ordering deportation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cites §1227(a)(4)(C)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which reads: "An alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable."
   Read accusations against Khalil by Canary Mission.
   Read defenses by ACLU.
2. Rümeysa Öztürk, Tufts University student, a Turkish citizen on a student visa, detained by agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 25, 2025.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_R%C3%BCmeysa_%C3%96zt%C3%BCrk
   As legal authority for ordering deportation, Secretary of State Rubio cites §1201(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which reads: "After the issuance of a visa or other documentation to any alien, the consular officer or the Secretary of State may at any time, in his discretion, revoke such visa or other documentation."
   Read accusations against Öztürk by Canary Mission.
   Read defenses by ACLU.
3. Mohsen Mahdawi, Columbia University student and lawful permanent resident of the U.S., detained at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office on April 14, 2025.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_Mohsen_Mahdawi
   As legal authority for ordering deportation, Secretary of State Rubio cites the same §1227(a)(4)(C)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act as for Khalil, above.
   Read accusations against Mahdawi by Canary Mission.
   Read defenses by ACLU.

All three of these people are suing the U.S. government for its actions against them, but we are not lawyers or law students, so let's not get bogged down in debates about legality or constitutionality. If the government did something illegal, or in a way that violated constitutional protections, it might still be possible that the government could have achieved the same effect through a legitimate legal route, or the law could be changed, or the constitution could even be amended to allow for it. On the other hand, if the government did everything completely legally, we can always debate the discretion exercised by the Secretary of State in pursuing these actions.

Our meeting will be conducted on Zoom. The Zoom link will be visible here on the event page before the event to those who RSVP. It's your choice if you want to turn on your camera or not, but people who can be seen are often more persuasive. At SFDebate, everyone gets a chance to speak and is encouraged to do so, but no one is required to speak if they don't want to.