#TalkRadio – April 22: The Trump Administration Attempts To Disappear Justice! Unconstitutional Border Detentions, Unlawful Deportations and Student Visa Revocations

SPEAKERS:

Amy Greer, Esq.: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Amy Greer is the attorney representing Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate who is currently facing deportation. Amy Greer is an attorney with experience in both criminal defense and financial regulation. She is currently an associate at Dratel & Lewis, where she has worked on cases involving international extradition, RICO, terrorism, drug trafficking, and sexual assault. Before joining Dratel & Lewis, she was an assistant public defender in Alaska, focusing on connecting clients with support services. She also worked on federal habeas claims for individuals sentenced to death in Florida. Greer earned her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2020 and is admitted to the New York, New Jersey, and District of Columbia bars. During law school, she interned with various organizations defending individuals charged with capital crimes and was a published member of the Law Review. Before pursuing law, she worked in university archives, public libraries, and nonprofits, and served as adjunct faculty at Roger Williams University. Find more on her bio: https://dratellewis.com/team/amy-greer/ ; Amy Greer has a presence on Substack where she shares insights on legal matters and advocacy, which can be viewed here: https://substack.com/@amygreer

Attorney Amir Makled: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Amir Makled is a trial lawyer specializing in civil rights, personal injury, and criminal defense. He is a partner at Hall Makled Law, where he represents clients in state and federal courts. Makled has built a reputation as an aggressive and relentless advocate, handling high-profile cases that have gained national and international attention. (https://www.hallmakled.com/attornies-bio/amir-makled )

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “The Trump Administration Attempts To Disappear Justice! Unconstitutional Border Detentions, Unlawful Deportations and Student Visa Revocations”, with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. will feature special guests Amy Greer, Esq. and Attorney Amir Makled. This show will continue our weekly exposé of the unconstitutional and unlawful actions by the Trump Administration and the national mobilization of opposition. Sadly, one of the most-touted of the Administration’s policies has been focused on deportations, accusations, searches, and detentions of anyone who wasn’t born in the United States. A special target of the Administration has been students, especially those who have protested, whether in person, online, or in other ways, against the Administration’s policies- even if the protests occurred years ago. This last weekend, there were massive “No Kings” protests, organized by the 50501 Movement, across the country, a sequel to the April 5th “Hands Off” protests with significant growth and expansion in “Red States”. Today, April 22nd, there is a “Housing Now” Rally in D.C. with nationwide protests.

Our first Igniting Change guest, Amy Greer, is the attorney representing Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate who is currently facing deportation. Khalil, a lawful permanent U.S. resident, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March 2025, despite not being charged with a crime. His legal team, including Greer, argues that his detention violates his First Amendment rights. Greer has been actively involved in challenging the government’s actions and advocating for Khalil’s release.

Mahmoud Khalil’s case has taken a dramatic turn. A Louisiana immigration judge recently ruled that Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent U.S. resident, can be deported. His legal team has until April 23 to file applications for relief to stop his removal. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/judge-rules-columbia-activist-mahmoud-khalil-can-be-deported/ar-AA1CLzsr )

The government has justified his deportation under a rarely used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, arguing that his presence poses “potentially serious foreign policy consequences”. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a memo stating that Khalil’s activism, particularly his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests, undermines U.S. policy to combat antisemitism (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/judge-permits-trump-administration-to-deport-columbia-student-mahmoud-khalil/ar-AA1CLwYy ; https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mahmoud-khalil-case-ordered-to-show-evidence-government-asserts-rubios-authority/ar-AA1CHx5H ). However, Khalil’s attorneys argue that the government has failed to provide substantial evidence to support its claims and that his deportation is an attempt to silence political dissent. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/governments-case-against-mahmoud-khalil-shaky-and-reliant-on-tabloid-accounts-review-of-evidence-shows/ar-AA1CVPep )

Khalil, who is married to an American citizen, has been detained in Louisiana since his March 8 arrest at his Columbia University housing. His legal team is also pursuing a separate federal case in New Jersey, challenging the legality of his detention. (https://www.democracynow.org/2025/4/14/mahmoud_khalil_columbia_immigration_judge ) Mahmoud Khalil was denied temporary release from ICE detention to attend the birth of his first child. His attorneys requested a two-week furlough, offering conditions such as a GPS ankle monitor and scheduled check-ins, but ICE denied the request within 30 minutes. Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, gave birth in New York City while Khalil remained detained in Louisiana, over 1,000 miles away. Abdalla condemned the decision, stating that ICE and the Trump administration had stolen “precious moments” from their family. Khalil’s legal team continues to fight his deportation order, arguing that his detention is politically motivated and lacks substantial evidence. (https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/21/us/mahmoud-khalil-denied-ice-release-son-birth/index.htm )

Our second Igniting Change guest, Attorney Amir Makled, was recently detained by federal immigration agents at Detroit Metro Airport while returning from a family vacation. He was questioned about his legal work and clients, particularly his representation of a student protester involved in a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Michigan. Makled refused to hand over his phone, citing attorney-client privilege, and was eventually released after 90 minutes of interrogation. (https://www.wcbe.org/npr-news/2025-04-09/attorney-representing-a-student-protester-detained-by-federal-immigration-agents ; https://arabamericannews.com/2025/04/11/dearborn-attorney-detained-at-detroit-metro-airport-after-family-vacation-cbp-questioned-him-about-clients-and-attempted-to-seize-his-phone/ ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isun457X4FI )

International Student Visas Revoked- Updated, April 21st

The most recent data on international student visa revocations shows that over 1,500 students from nearly 250 colleges have had their visas revoked (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/04/21/five-key-takeaways-tracking-student-visa). The revocations have disproportionately affected students involved in political activism, particularly pro-Palestinian protests. (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/18/us-revokes-nearly-1500-student-visas-who-are-the-targets) The Trump administration has justified these actions by claiming that some students were using their visas to disrupt campus operations, though legal experts argue that the policy is arbitrary and unconstitutional. (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/04/07/where-students-have-had-their-visas-revoked )

A map tracking affected institutions has been published, showing that the majority of revocations have occurred at large public universities, though private liberal arts colleges have also been impacted. The Inside Higher Ed database continues to grow as more colleges disclose information.

The Inside Higher Ed article reports that over 1,680 international students from 250+ colleges and universities have had their visas revoked by the State Department as of April 21st. You can see the updated map here: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/04/07/where-students-have-had-their-visas-revoked This number is significantly higher than the 300 students initially estimated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The revocations are part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and alleged antisemitism, though the exact reasons for most terminations remain unclear. Rubio has claimed that some students entered the U.S. not just to study but to participate in disruptive movements, but legal experts argue that the policy is arbitrary and unconstitutional.

Students affected by the revocations are now filing lawsuits, with at least 16 legal challenges arguing that the terminations violate due process and are an abuse of discretion. The article also includes a map and database tracking affected institutions, which is updated twice daily.

The Supreme Court’s Late-Night Rebuke to Trump – Case: A.A.R.P. v. Trump, No. 24-1098 (U.S. Apr. 19, 2025). [AARP stands for Advocates for Asylum and Refugee Protection] (https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/04/supreme-court-blocks-deportations-donald-trump-alito-dissent.html ; https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/a-a-r-p-v-trump/)

In addition to these 2 stories this show will highlight the Trump Administration’s Alien Enemies Act of 1789. On April 19, 2025, in a dramatic late‐night ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States halted the Trump administration’s plan to deport a group of Venezuelan migrants who were in U.S. custody. The emergency order—issued shortly before 1 a.m.—blocked efforts to fly these individuals to a detention facility in El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law originally intended for times of war.

The case centered on reports that the government was preparing to deport the migrants almost immediately, relying on terse, English-only notices that gave them no effective opportunity to contest their removals in court. An urgent appeal had been filed by the ACLU, arguing that such abrupt action flagrantly violated due process rights that had been reinforced by a prior Supreme Court directive just 12 days earlier. According to the emergency order, the Government was directed not to remove any member of this group until further notice from the Court.

The decision was not without controversy. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented sharply. In their view, the emergency relief was “hastily and prematurely granted,” noting that the Court had received only the applicants’ filings without a substantive response from the government or lower courts. They argued that this unconventional late‑night intervention bypassed the usual procedural safeguards, including a full consideration of all arguments and evidence.

This ruling underscores the judiciary’s increasingly assertive stance against what many see as the administration’s attempts to circumvent established legal processes—especially in cases involving high-stakes immigration actions under obscure wartime provisions.

QUESTIONS:

The show will start off with:

•  Arnwine giving a shout out condolence to Tenisha Evan’s family at the start of the radio show. C-Hosts Arnwine and Jones will announce that there will be a future show about the epidemic of Black maternal mortality in the US. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/queens-mother-death-c-section/
• Arnwine and Jones giving the Miscreants of the Week Award to Justices Thomas and Alito for their cruel dissents in the recent Supreme Court decision, A.A.R.P. v. Trump, No. 24-1098 (U.S. Apr. 19, 2025). [AARP stands for Advocates for Asylum and Refugee Protection]
• Amy, please tell us about Mahmoud Khalil and the Trump Administration’s detention of him. What is the current status of the case? What strain has this caused on his family?
• What can people do to help?
• Amir, tell people what happened to you when you were detained by federal immigration agents at Detroit Metro Airport while returning from a family vacation.
• What can people do to help?
• From reading social media, it’s clear that there is a lot of confusion about the rights people are entitled to under the U.S. Constitution and our statutes. Let’s go through the basic rights that all people residing within the United States are entitled to. The 14th Amendment and it’s due process clause is the one most people have been hearing about, especially because of the Garcia case. How do these rights vary if you’re an international student on a visa, if you’re a green card holder, or a permanent resident?
• What about the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments (with a brief explanation of each amendment)?
• Let’s talk about some of the current misdeeds of this Administration and their revocation of SEVIS. The Inside Higher Ed article reports that over 1,680 international students from 250+ colleges and universities have had their visas revoked by the State Department as of April 21. Why should every American be concerned about this?
• What do you think these colleges and universities should do to protect their international students?
• As immigration lawyers, what do you make out of Trump’s repeated statements that he wants to send American citizens to El Salvador prisons? Why is this unconstitutional?
• Is this the new U.S. Slave Trade?
• In A.A.R.P. v. Trump, No. 24-1098 (U.S. Apr. 19, 2025), [For our listening audience, AARP stands for Advocates for Asylum and Refugee Protection], on April 19, 2025, in a dramatic late‐night ruling, the Supreme Court halted the Trump administration’s plan to deport a group of Venezuelan migrants who were in U.S. custody. The emergency order—issued shortly before 1 a.m.—blocked efforts to fly these individuals to a detention facility in El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law originally intended for times of war. What is your view of this case? What is your hope for this case?
• What do our listeners need to know right now about your cases and about what they can do to help?
• What are your final one-minute thoughts?
• Thank you so much for joining us today. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

[Let’s talk about what’s going on with the SAVE Act. Is voting a privilege or right?! Arnwine will remind listeners when you make those daily calls to the Congress at 202-224-3121, be sure to tell your Senator to say NO to the SAVE Act and remind people to stay in those streets!]

[TJC will continue to vigorously defend the rights of all Americans and will fight the implementation of Project 2025 and our future shows will continue to cover any hate crimes and how we effectively protect ourselves while advancing our agenda for justice.]

[Daryl, Barbara, and guests may share their favorite books and encourage people to donate towards TJC’s giveaways of banned and affirming books.]