Deported Over a Text Message: The U.S. Is Detaining Scientists, Doctors, and Students Without Cause

Imagine waking up, thinking it's a normal day, and then traveling to the U.S. for pre-approved work, study, or vacation - only to be arrested and locked away, without ever being charged with a crime.

This is the terrifying reality unfolding right now. Under a sweeping and unjust immigration policy, the U.S. government is detaining completely innocent foreign nationals - sometimes based on nothing more than a social media post, a text message, or their perceived political views. So far, those targeted have included scientists, doctors, university professors, students, and tourists.

This is an abuse of power, and it must end immediately. We must speak out before more innocent people are locked away and deported. Stand with us - demand justice now.

Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student, was detained while legally living in the U.S. Married to a U.S. citizen who is eight-months pregnant with their first child, is also a permanent resident, meaning he holds a Green Card. He was seized in front of his wife, right in the lobby of their university housing, and thrown into custody. He's currently being held in a Louisiana detention center that the ACLU has deemed one of "the worst" and a "Black Hole." All of this was exclusively because he - legally - publicly expressed opinions that the U.S. government disagreed with. This is not a crime, and is in fact speech protected by the First Amendment.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Brown University scholar, was arrested and deported despite holding a valid work visa - and despite a court order that prohibited her deportation yet. She has highly specialized medical skills that her patients and the hospital she works at need. A judge ordered ICE to wait 48 hours before taking action, but less than a day later, they had already deported her.

Georgetown University researcher Badar Khan Suri is from India, and had a valid work visa. He is married to a U.S. citizen - but because she is Palestinian, the federal government has accused the couple of holding views that are terrorist-supporting. Suri was arrested, detained, and awaiting news of possible deportation.

A French scientist was stopped at an airport and deported, simply because he had privately texting colleagues expressing concerns over the Trump administration's research policies. A UK tourist named Rebecca Burke spent three weeks locked in a detention facility, feeling like she had been abducted, before finally being returned to her family. Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian citizen with a valid work visa for a company in California was snatched at the border, taken into custody, and shuffled between multiple detention centers for two weeks. Multiple German citizens, including Jessica Brösche and Lucas Sielaff, have been detained despite having no criminal record or immigration violations.

The list goes on - and continues to grow.

This is not just an immigration issue - it is a dangerous authoritarian tactic that violates fundamental human rights. The government is detaining people based on vague accusations, secret evidence, and even private communications. There is no clear standard that authorities are using to determine if someone is supposedly 'terrorist-supporting,' beyond expressing views that do not align with those of the Trump administration.

If the U.S. can revoke someone's Green Card or visa arbitrarily today, what's stopping them from targeting U.S. citizens next?

We demand that the U.S. government immediately stop this outrageous policy and release every person who has been unjustly detained without charges. No one should live in fear of being arrested simply for being a foreign national in the U.S. Sign this petition to call for justice, due process, and the protection of basic human rights.