WASHINGTON, D.C. — April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement demanding the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and legal permanent resident of the United States who was forcibly taken from his home and remains in federal detention:

“Abducting and detaining Mahmoud Khalil is an outrageous assault on free speech, due process, and immigrant communities. Mahmoud is a student, husband, and soon-to-be father legally residing in the U.S. By arresting and detaining him without due process, the Department of Homeland Security is sending a chilling message: Anyone who disagrees with the Trump administration’s views is a target. 

This blatantly unconstitutional tactic is ripped straight from a well-worn authoritarian playbook designed to spread and silence movements for justice. We demand the administration release Mahmoud Khalil immediately. At the same time, higher education institutions must implement strong policies to protect students and workers, ensuring their right to peacefully protest, join a union and uphold First Amendment rights.

This administration’s pattern of using immigrants as political scapegoats to distract from their billionaires’ agenda is clear. Administration officials have lied time and time again, claiming to prioritize enforcement action against individuals who pose a threat to our communities. In reality, they’ve gone after students, separated families and arrested scores of immigrant workers with no criminal record.

This assault against Mahmoud Khalil is an attack on all of us who value democracy and freedom. We will fight against the administration’s divisive, cruel policies and continue to demand equal justice for all immigrants and citizens. Our economy, our communities, and our shared future depend on it.”

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