The State of Civil Liberties in 2025

Yesterday, Senator Alex Padilla was thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and detained by federal agents — all for attempting to ask DHS Secretary Kristi Noem a question about immigration enforcement.

This is where we are in 2025: ask the wrong question, and you get put in cuffs on camera — no matter who you are, no matter your elected office.

The incident came just one day after a federal judge issued a sweeping rebuke of the administration’s ongoing crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism. Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Mahmoud Khalil — the Columbia graduate student locked up since March for participating in pro-Palestinian protests — must be released by Friday unless the government files an appeal.

In his ruling, Judge Farbiarz found that Khalil would suffer "irreparable harm" if his detention continued. He also ruled that the statute used to detain him — a Cold War-era provision that claims Khalil's mere presence in the United States threatens “U.S. foreign policy” — is likely unconstitutional. The judge cited Khalil’s separation from his wife and newborn child, the damage to his reputation and career, and the chilling effect on his political speech as clear violations of his basic rights.

This moment marks a historic victory for civil liberties — and a clear warning shot to the Trump administration’s attempts to weaponize immigration law to silence pro-Palestinian voices. But while the judge’s ruling is a major step forward, the fight for Mahmoud Khalil’s freedom is not over. The government still has the option to appeal.

For months, the government has attempted to paint Mahmoud as a national security threat for doing nothing more than speaking out in support of Palestinian rights. He was accused of being "aligned with Hamas" and distributing "pro-Hamas propaganda" — baseless allegations that his legal team successfully dismantled in court.

At the heart of this assault on civil liberties is the influence of AIPAC and its network. AIPAC pours millions of dollars into the campaigns of lawmakers like Lindsey Graham, who publicly threaten humanitarian activists like Greta Thunberg. They bankroll politicians who call for censorship, criminal charges, and violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters. And they have stood silently as voices like Mahmoud Khalil’s have been targeted and silenced.

But the events of this week send a powerful message: when these attacks are challenged head-on, they can be defeated. The courts have now pushed back against the dangerous abuse of Cold War-era laws being weaponized against political speech. Mahmoud’s legal victory proves that this fight is not hopeless — but it demands vigilance, pressure, and a refusal to allow these abuses to go unanswered.

Tomorrow could bring Mahmoud Khalil’s freedom. But the larger fight for civil liberties, free speech, and the right to dissent continues — for him, for Senator Padilla, and for all.