Under the Trump Administration, the only freedom of speech is censorship.
In the past five months of his second presidency, Trump has unashamedly channeled Western moral hypocrisy by cracking down on what he and his administration deem “anti-American” use of free speech. It seems as though opinions different from those held by the administration are under threat, especially if that opinion criticizes Israel’s genocidal actions and the U.S.’s involvement.
From the detention of a green-card holder and Columbia graduate student, Mahmoud Khalil, to yet another (attempted) deportation, this time of Columbia student Yunseo Chung, the Trump administration has tried to intimidate critics of Israel by weaponizing immigration. More specifically, the administration is abusing a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 that allows for the deportation of non-citizens (such as visa holders or green card holders) found to be a threat to U.S. foreign policy. However, in all of these instances, there has been zero evidence provided of actual threats. The administrations’ actions instead stem from a bias against pro-Palestinian voices and a desire to intimidate them into silence.
In the most extreme effort yet, immigration officials abducted (to put it plainly) and detained Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk with claims that she was involved in pro-Hamas activities. The said activities involved writing an op-ed with fellow Tufts peers criticizing the university’s response to divestment demands by students.
Trump has also cracked down on universities, such as Columbia, for allowing student protests against university investments in companies and institutions with ties to Israel, branding protestors as “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American…”. He intimidated the university into compliance by withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding and grants, many of which funded scientific and medical research on important issues like cancer. And while the administration parades this squandering of free speech as a fight against antisemitism on campuses, its demands and consequences make it seem otherwise. In an effort to appease the administration and remove the funding freeze, Columbia not only redefined antisemitism but also initiated a full review of the Middle Eastern studies department, including its curriculum, leadership, and future hiring decisions. These drastic changes are a testimony to how Trump’s suppression can extend not only to individuals but entire institutions, and they have very real, fundamental consequences that impact everyone.
Even if everything happening currently isn’t impacting you directly, it doesn’t mean it’s still not a larger issue of concern. Freedom of speech is a core value upheld by American citizens and our government, and Trump has shown that he doesn’t care too much for protecting it if it’s not being used in a way that aligns with his administration’s agenda. It begs the question that if legal non-citizens and educational institutions are being attacked in a historic show of censorship, then who’s to say the administration won’t find ways to intimidate citizens with the same kind of indirect censorship? Just take a look at Trump’s intimidation of corporate law firms for the sake of his own agenda. It serves as a warning, in addition to all the other events that have been unfolding.
Not only that, but these past instances also reveal the administration’s hypocrisy regarding freedom of speech. Trump had absolutely zero issues with pardoning rioters for their participation in the January 6th Capitol attack, but for some reason, students setting up encampments within campus buildings to protest investments funding a genocide don’t get the same generosity. Trump also claims that his administration acts out of concern for Jewish students and to combat antisemitism, but if the administration wants to take into consideration Jewish voices, then what about the numerous Jewish groups and individuals who have called for an end to the violence committed by Israel? And if the administration can employ such exhaustive measures to combat antisemitism, why not extend the same effort to the increasing levels of anti-Arab and islamophobia? Our own campus has observed such instances with a Muslim student attacked while wearing a kurta (traditional South Asian attire) and another in which an Arab man was stabbed in West Campus after coming back from a pro-Palestinian rally.
Unfortunately, there’s already an answer to that second question. Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists reflects a pattern of Western hypocrisy that extends beyond just his administration. From funding a genocide against Palestinians to carrying out the post-9/11 “war on terror” that undoubtedly caused more harm than good (if any), our government has a history of contradicting what it claims to stand for: a beacon of democracy and justice. As expected, the current administration intends to uphold that pattern.
Regardless, it doesn’t mean we should also stay compliant and embolden them by giving them no reaction. The Trump administration thinks that it can intimidate people into silence, but America is a democracy for a reason. At the end of the day, we give our government its power (not the other way around) so that they can serve us. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you lean left or right, or if you disagree with the cause we’re protesting for because the administration’s actions are a part of a larger issue. Call it what it is: an abuse of power to suppress a constitutional right. If not for the critics of the ongoing genocide in Palestine, then at least for fellow community members simply trying to exercise their rights.