Jayapal Opposition to Stripping Individuals of Lawful Status without Due Process

The Trump Administration’s use of an obsolete Cold War-era law to attempt to revoke the status and arrest and detain lawful permanent residents and international students for simply exercising their First Amendment right to free speech is deeply concerning.

The First Amendment provides in pertinent part that “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…” The Constitution guarantees everyone in our country, including lawful permanent residents, the right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the government. The Supreme Court has found that political speech receives the greatest protection because “debate on public issues should be robust, uninhibited, and wide-open.”

These cases raise far broader concerns across the country about the silencing of political dissent. The “public interest” is not served by censoring and repressing people for their speech.