Center for Constitutional Rights

"The Trump administration is seeking to deport Mr. Khalil simply because he is a dedicated Palestinian human-rights defender who has spoken out against Israel's assault on Gaza, and against the U.S. and Columbia University's complicity. " —?Samah Sisay

It’s the last day of #SunshineWeek — and we’re closing it out with something sweet! Sweet Tea with Transparency, our toolkit for Southern organizers, just got a major update: → A brand-new explainer for Tennessee’s open records law → A freshly updated Alabama explainer reflecting recent changes in the state’s public records law These toolkits are for the organizers, journalists, and advocates fighting for truth, accountability, and justice — especially in the South. Start sipping the tea: foiabasics.org/sweettea

Today on World Water Day, we call attention to the ongoing water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi. In August 2022, the water crisis in Jackson, MS, made national news when flooding shut down the main water treatment plant, leaving over a hundred thousand people without safe drinking water. It was one of the worst episodes in a multigenerational saga of injustice that has included three citywide water shutoffs. The TV cameras have long since moved on, and the official federal and state emergency declarations have long ago been lifted, but the crisis persists. Ongoing problems – transparent access to data about the water quality, exclusion of community voices in the process of fixing the water system, and lack of accountability for the state and federal government – continue to endanger the health of residents in this majority-Black city. Celebrated on March 22nd every year, World Water Day is an ideal moment to spotlight Jackson residents’ long struggle to realize their human right to safe water. You can read the whole reflection on the day on our website.

?? We’re hiring! We’re accepting applications for an Associate Director of Political Education and Research (ADPER). This role is fully remote, the salary range for the position is $130,242 to $156,026. As the Director of the forthcoming political education and research hub at the Center for Constitutional Rights, the ADPER will sustain and advance our commitment as a political institution working together with social movements to disrupt, build, and shift power. The ADPER will design and test movement-based pedagogical strategies together with other Advocacy and Legal Team members, movement partners, clients, and impacted communities, amongst other roles and goals. To learn more about the position, go to bit.ly/ccr-jobs. Application due April 10th.

BREAKING: A federal judge ruled that Mahmoud Khalil’s lawsuit against ICE must proceed in NJ, rejecting Trump officials' efforts to transfer the case to Louisiana. The fight continues, but this is a crucial win. Mahmoud Khalil is one step closer to being reunited with his family. Read more on our website: https://lnkd.in/ez32XFyk

Must read: Mahmoud Khalil speaks out for the first time since his arrest by the Trump administration in an exclusive letter, dictated over the phone to his family, from ICE detention in Louisiana. https://lnkd.in/eZw8RcEj

Earlier this week we submitted a petition for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a 22-year-old woman from Iran who has been detained at in an El Paso Texas ICE processing center for over two years. In 2023, Melika came to the U.S. and applied for asylum in the after being a victim of a brutal attack by the “morality police” in Iran for protesting the country’s mandatory hijab law. Despite her strong case, the immigration court denied Melika asylum. She has now been detained for nearly 19 months since the immigration judge ordered her removal, far exceeding the “reasonable period of detention” — six months. Melika is one of countless immigrants who are trapped in an endless system of detention here in the U.S.

In new filing, Mahmoud Khalil urges court to protect his First Amendment rights. The amended petition argues that his detention violates his constitutional rights, including free speech and due process, and goes beyond the government’s legal authority. Learn more on our website: https://lnkd.in/e73nsKyX

We were in court today in New York with CUNY CLEAR to demand that Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil be returned to New York City. Mahmoud, who is currently being detained at an ICE facility in Louisiana, was unlawfully abducted from his home on Saturday night in front of his eight-month-pregnant wife by plainclothes DHS agents and later transferred over one thousand miles away to central Louisiana, away from his support system and legal team. This morning we asked the court to order that he be returned to New York City, where his case challenging the legality of his detention is pending. Listen as Senior Staff Attorney Diala Shamas, who is part of the legal team handling his habeas case, explains.

Tomorrow in NYC: We'll be in court on behalf of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained Saturday by the Trump administration and seeks to return to NYC. On Saturday March 8, DHS agents arrested Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University who played a prominent role last year in the protests against Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza. As they took him into custody, the agents told his lawyer over the phone that they were acting on a State Department order to revoke his student visa. When his lawyer told them that he was a legal permanent resident with a green card, the agents said that had been revoked, too. He was arrested at home and in front of his wife, a U.S. citizen, who is eight months pregnant with their first child. Following the filing of a petition challenging the legality of his detention, he was quickly transferred to a facility in Louisiana, where he is more than a thousand miles from his family and attorneys. On Monday, Khalil filed an emergency petition asking to be returned to NYC. Learn more on our website: https://lnkd.in/eS2stXZb