The Trump administration’s most recent wave of attempted deportations, which includes Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student and green card holder who openly supported Hamas and promoted terrorism, marks a civilizational tipping point.
How the United States handles what should be a non-controversial issue will determine whether we win or lose a battle against radicalism that has festered on our soil for decades.
At the heart of this conflict is the recognition that the deportation of individuals like Khalil has nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with national security and the fundamental concept of sovereignty.
This is about whether America, as a nation, has the courage to say, “If you come here and advocate for our destruction, you do not get to stay.”
Let’s get things straight. Mahmoud Khalil is not a United States citizen. He’s a foreign national whose presence in the United States is contingent on his permanent residency status, which is a privilege rather than a right. The fact that his pregnant wife is a US citizen is irrelevant.
You simply do not have the right to be in a country other than your own, regardless of who you marry or impregnate, especially if you have a history of supporting genocidal terrorist organizations that rape, murder, and kidnap civilians while seeking to destroy the same country you wish to live in.
The Trump administration’s increased deportation of foreign nationals who support terrorism is not only appropriate, but also necessary. It’s a test of whether we, as a country, still have the fundamental instinct to defend ourselves. And it’s a test of whether we’ve learned the fundamental lesson of national survival: you can’t be a sovereign country if you import people who want to destroy it from within.
However, in our world of constitutional lawfare, it is critical that the Trump administration do the right thing in the correct manner. Predictably, the Left is attempting to turn this into a First Amendment issue, claiming that slogans like “death to America” or “glory to the martyrs” are simply edgy poetry readings that are fully protected under the First Amendment.
While it is true that non-citizens have certain First Amendment protections, this does not imply that they have an absolute right to remain in the United States.
Non-citizens can be deported under US immigration law for a variety of reasons, including terrorist advocacy or membership in a terrorist organization.
When national security is at risk, the government has broad authority to deny entry, revoke visas, and deport permanent residents. Allowing this debate to focus solely on free speech risks allowing foreign nationals to use the First Amendment to promote jihad on American soil, potentially leading to the end of American sovereignty.
This is not about free speech. It’s about a deeper issue: the suicidal notion that America has a moral obligation to tolerate foreign-born subversion in the name of tolerance. That’s not tolerance; it’s surrender.
So we must make it clear that this is a question of civilizational boundaries, not civil liberties. We decide who can come here. We decide who will stay. And if you come to this country and use our freedoms to support terrorism, you’re out.
Ian Haworth is a syndicated columnist, speaker, and podcast host. You can find him on Substack and follow him on X as @ighaworth.
