In a case that legal experts are calling a dangerous assault on the Constitution, only 14 members of Congress have publicly denounced the kidnapping of Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident who was taken from his home by plainclothes Department of Homeland Security agents without a warrant.

Khalil, whose wife is eight months pregnant with their first child, was seized on March 8 from Columbia University student housing by ICE agents who initially claimed his student visa had been revoked. When informed he was a green card holder, they shifted their story, claiming his permanent resident status was being revoked instead.

For nearly two days, Khalil effectively disappeared into federal custody. His wife attempted to locate him at a detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where authorities initially claimed he was being held, only to discover he wasn’t there. DHS refused to provide his location to either his spouse or attorney, in violation of habeas corpus.

“This is absolutely unacceptable—and illegal,” wrote the 14 congressional representatives in their letter to Homeland Security Secretary Noem, pointing out that Khalil “has not been charged or convicted of any crime.”

Khalil was ultimately found in an ICE facility in central Louisiana—more than 1,300 miles from his New York home and legal representation—after a habeas corpus petition was filed.

The Trump administration has made little effort to hide the political motivation behind the detention. Officials have publicly acknowledged targeting Khalil for his role as a student leader in Gaza solidarity protests at Columbia University.

“This is an attempt to criminalize political protest and is a direct assault on the freedom of speech of everyone in this country,” the congressional letter states. “President Trump has threatened that ‘this is the first arrest of many to come.'”

Rhode Island’s congressional delegation—Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo—did not sign the letter, raising serious questions about their stance on constitutional protections for legal residents who criticize U.S. foreign policy.

Legal experts note that federal law prohibits the government from revoking a green card or deporting a permanent resident without a judicial order. The kidnapping and subsequent detention appears to violate multiple constitutional protections, including First Amendment rights to free speech, Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure, and Fifth Amendment guarantees of due process.

Many experts now wonder, if the government can detain green card holders for political speech, what’s to stop them from targeting American citizens or tourists whose views they disagree with?

Critics point to the silence from most members of Congress as particularly troubling given the constitutional issues at stake. According to federal campaign finance records, a majority of congressional representatives receive substantial donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in exchange for supporting aggressive, often illegal, actions against supporters of Palestine.

The 14 signatories of the letter—Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Mark Pocan, Nydia Velázquez, Delia Ramirez, Ilhan Omar, Jasmine Crockett, Summer Lee, Ayanna Pressley, Lateefah Simon, Al Green, Gwen Moore, André Carson, Nikema Williams, and James McGovern—represent less than 3% of the 535 members of Congress.

“Take a look around, folks”, said Uprise RI President, Greg Brailsford. “Are we really surprised to see so many Democrats refusing to condemn this kidnapping? They supported Trump’s cabinet nominees. They’ve supported much of Trump’s agenda. They have sat on their hands for nearly two months while the administration commits crime after crime, ransacks the government, and burns down the country for the insurance money. The Democrats are not our friends. They are not going to save us. These are the same people who green-lighted the mass murder of a half million people in Gaza. If this doesn’t open your eyes to the fact that we need a real opposition party, and we need to start that work NOW, I don’t know what does.”

Khalil’s detention comes amid increasing criticism of U.S. support for Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in hundreds of thousands of Palestinian deaths. Human rights organizations have raised alarms about the targeting of civilians and destruction of critical infrastructure.

Legal advocacy groups have filed emergency petitions seeking Khalil’s immediate release. Meanwhile, his pregnant wife waits alone in New York as her due date approaches.

“Wow. Only 14 of over 500 in congress signed a letter demanding the US releases Mahmoud Khalil and end the attacks on constitutionally protected political speech and protest. Terrifying. And explains the state of the nation and highlights the centrality of Zionism to fascism in US….and the recognition of this to any successful resistance to fascism,” said Dr. Renee Lavant on Twitter/X.

The Congressional letter comes on the heels of incidents in NYC yesterday in which the NYPD attacked peaceful protestors who called for the immediate release of Khalil. The same day, in a wildly unconstitutional rant on his Truth Social platform, President Trump announced plans to deport all legal immigrants with permanent residence who dare make use of their First Amendment rights to protest illegal kidnappings and mass murder of civilians. It is currently unknown what the administration plans to do with American citizens who invoke their First Amendment rights to protest the same, though many speculate that if Congress continues to turn a blind eye to the Khalil kidnapping, ultimately no American will be safe.