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Khalil Mahmoud

Rockdiamond said:
... Shiny objects. ...
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@Rockdiamond , you often use the shortcut "shiny object".
While that's not against the law, sometimes I'm not sure to what objects you refer, and or how exactly, its shininess relates to the point you're making.
Sorry, may be I'm becoming senile. :blackeye:

I have a saying, "It's not possible for things to be too clear".
So, I politely request you take the long-cut and use as many words as necessary (in place of your 'shiny object' shortcut) to make your point more clear.

Thanks. :wavey:
 
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If one wants to take an action which they don’t want to be noticed by others, they create a distraction.
Classic example would be a pickpocket that drops a fake gold nugget ( Shiny object) on the floor. When someone bends down to pick it up, they get their wallet stolen.
Nowadays, if you want to distract people from say, dismantling the government, you get them to argue about the name of a body of water. Or transgender athletes.
Or the rapid deterioration of the first amendment by using the “shiny object” of an objectionable example.
The latest iteration of “shiny object”
I agree, clarity is our friend when communicating- I appreciate you pointing out a lack of clarity
 
The most scary thing about what happened with the planes to El Salvador isn't that people were sent back to their home country. Instead, they were taken to a prison in another country, even though a court said that wasn't allowed. This prison is run by that third country, and nobody is checking to make sure things are done fairly. This is very different from giving people a fair trial and then sending them home if they break the law.

How can anyone feel safe if this can happen? It means anyone could be grabbed and made to disappear. We should all be worried if this is legal, and we need to fight against it. We have to work together.

Anyone could be taken and locked up without any legal reason. This is a huge threat to everyone's freedom and the laws that protect us, no matter who you vote for or what you believe. Even if you're a white Christian, if the people in charge suddenly don't like your particular religious rules, what's to stop them from doing this to you? Your friends and family can't stop it, and there won't be anyone to stand up for you if we don't stand up against this now. We need to put other battles and fights behind us at the moment and unite.
 
JustLookin54345 said:
The most scary thing about what happened with the planes to El Salvador isn't that people were sent back to their home country. Instead, they were taken to a prison in another country, even though a court said that wasn't allowed. This prison is run by that third country, and nobody is checking to make sure things are done fairly. This is very different from giving people a fair trial and then sending them home if they break the law.

How can anyone feel safe if this can happen? It means anyone could be grabbed and made to disappear. We should all be worried if this is legal, and we need to fight against it. We have to work together.

Anyone could be taken and locked up without any legal reason. This is a huge threat to everyone's freedom and the laws that protect us, no matter who you vote for or what you believe. Even if you're a white Christian, if the people in charge suddenly don't like your particular religious rules, what's to stop them from doing this to you? Your friends and family can't stop it, and there won't be anyone to stand up for you if we don't stand up against this now. We need to put other battles and fights behind us at the moment and unite.
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100% this
 
As a country we need major scrutiny and reforms to claw back civil/constitutional rights that uniquely define America. We need to let immigrants know that their rights are predictable with no surprise gotcha’s in the process of being Visas or Green Card holders, and we need to make opinionated but civil speech safe and protected again.

www.theguardian.com

I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped

I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
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LightBright said:
As a country we need major scrutiny and reforms to claw back civil/constitutional rights that uniquely define America. We need to let immigrants know that their rights are predictable with no surprise gotcha’s in the process of being Visas or Green Card holders, and we need to make opinionated but civil speech safe and protected again.

www.theguardian.com

I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped

I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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I was riveted by this read @LightBright . Thank you for sharing. It is absolutely terrifying.
 
Terrifying.
This paragraph gave me pause....was this going on last year, but we just didn't know about it?

There were women who had been picked up off the street, from outside their workplaces, from their homes. All of these women told me that they had been detained for time spans ranging from a few weeks to 10 months. One woman’s daughter was outside the detention center protesting for her release.
 
Rockdiamond said:
Terrifying.
This paragraph gave me pause....was this going on last year, but we just didn't know about it?

There were women who had been picked up off the street, from outside their workplaces, from their homes. All of these women told me that they had been detained for time spans ranging from a few weeks to 10 months. One woman’s daughter was outside the detention center protesting for her release.
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Yes, but I don’t know anything about the arrests inside of America on the street. My understanding is that it’s done when the Visa applicant interacts with what should be a safe official discussing Visa in official way. Terrifyingly, I have knowledge of a case that happened during 46 Admin, not this current one. The instance I heard about a female visa holder was detained for around a week for no reason given at all. In geographical area that they talk about in the article. I didn’t know until reading this article it was happening to others.
 
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I’m afraid this is what might have happened to the German Visa and Green card holder in New England who was detained at Logan Airport for no reason too. In other words maybe there was no reason given like the article mentions. Are these private contracted interrogators and are they incentivized to detain overnight?

We should be asking questions. Who in the government is ordering the detainments? What are the rights of Visa/Green card holders, are they really targeting certain beliefs or affiliations, if yes that needs to be put out there officially as it’s sounds unconstitutional. Is ACLU involved?

Are there financial incentives from the government? (this might be similar to how hospitals were incentivized by HHS to detect and treat COVID in the hospital, and patients in hospital for other illnesses were held in COVID wards so the hospital could treat with government protocols. This happened to my mom). Unpopular opinion but DOGE might be able to shed light on this issue as well as the detainment after travel issue. I would not have believed the hospital detainment incentivization, if the HHS payment structure wasn’t reported on and if it didn’t happen to my mom. (In our case I believe HIPAA and COVID rules were being used to stop loved ones from knowing what was happening to our elderly parent.)

Both cases that I know about individually happened during the 46 Admin, not this one.
 
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LightBright said:
I’m afraid this is what might have happened to the German Visa and Green card holder in New England who was detained for no reason too! Are these private contracted interrogators incentivized to detain overnight?

We should be asking questions. Who in the government is ordering the detainments? What are the rights of Visa/Green card holders, are they really targeting certain beliefs or affiliations, if yes that needs to be put out there officially as it’s sounds unconstitutional. Is ACLU involved?
Click to expand...

People running these places get paid to keep people locked up. Most of these places are run by private companies that make a lot of money. If you want to know why this is happening, look at who's making money. Billionaires don't usually do things just to be nice. There's almost always a way they're getting even richer from it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/private-prisons-immigrants-detention-trump.html

idahocapitalsun.com

ICE awards $1B contract to private prison firm for major immigrant detention center • Idaho Capital Sun

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement awarded a private prison company a 15-year, $1 billion contract to detain 1,000 immigrants in N.J.
idahocapitalsun.com idahocapitalsun.com
 
Now it actually looks like these private ICE prisons are playing a role in this, or at least enabling someone to be whisked away from NYC to Louisiana, with no access to help. Read the public statement from Khalil Mahmoud from yesterday. He is talking about meeting people (not criminals) in the ICE facility who are being held for a year. And a person who came here as a child who is now being held indefinitely with no crime.

This is similar to what the Canadian woman describes in the article I posted.

All of them seem to be nonviolent human beings with no evident crimes trapped in an impenetrable system. Mahmoud also says his arrest is part of a witch hunt done by the Columbia Administration with the help of the Dean of the International Affairs Department. I’ve waited a week to pass til we could learn more about why he is being held. To me at this point, I believe he never committed a crime, and he was selected as an example, selected because he is a leader, an articulate well liked (respected even by the Brits) palatable leader who influences and goes against State Department ideology.

Like Gonzalo Lira, who was imprisoned in Ukraine several times for inconvenient influential journalism, this seems to be happening in USA. FYI, I called several senators and the governor of California when we knew Gonzalo was sick in prison. Governor’s spokesperson claimed he didn’t know who Gonzalo was and threatened to hang up on me. The governor said nothing to anyone about this gravely ill political prisoner who political leaders indeed knew about. Gonzalo was an American citizen who grew up in Burbank! Gov of California ignored his case, willfully, because he was reporting inconvenient things.

We have some reckoning to do as a country. I voted for reform from the neocon agenda NOT THIS.
 
ICE admitted that many of the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador prison have no criminal record. Having no criminal record now means one is a terrorist. Unbelievable. Arresting people because they may commit a crime in future. Unbelievable.

But a lack of a criminal record “does not indicate they pose a limited threat,” according to a sworn statement from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official submitted in court filings.

A “lack of specific information about each individual actually highlights the risk they pose,” according to ICE official Robert Cerna.

“It demonstrates that they are terrorists with regard to whom we lack a complete profile,” he wrote.
www.independent.co.uk

ICE says ‘many’ Venezuelans deported to El Salvador prison have no criminal record

ICE officials suggest a lack of information about immigrants summarily deported to the mega prison ‘highlights the risk they pose’
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
 
Matata said:
ICE admitted that many of the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador prison have no criminal record. Having no criminal record now means one is a terrorist. Unbelievable. Arresting people because they may commit a crime in future. Unbelievable.

But a lack of a criminal record “does not indicate they pose a limited threat,” according to a sworn statement from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official submitted in court filings.

A “lack of specific information about each individual actually highlights the risk they pose,” according to ICE official Robert Cerna.

“It demonstrates that they are terrorists with regard to whom we lack a complete profile,” he wrote.
www.independent.co.uk

ICE says ‘many’ Venezuelans deported to El Salvador prison have no criminal record

ICE officials suggest a lack of information about immigrants summarily deported to the mega prison ‘highlights the risk they pose’
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
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Thought crime on the horizon? It's here.
 
LightBright said:
We have some reckoning to do as a country. I voted for reform from the neocon agenda NOT THIS.
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We have a really long paper that explained exactly what they'd do if they won. They're doing those things now, almost exactly as they wrote them down.

You can't change what happened before, but you can speak up for what's right today. Make sure everyone hears you say these actions are wrong especially if you live in districts where this kind of thing isn't getting the outrage it deserves. Our opinions are important, and we need to take action to make changes. We all need to work together to build the kind of country we want.
 
Rockdiamond said:

Weaponizing antisemitism makes us less safe.
Click to expand...

It really does look like our Govt and the one before, holds the idea that you can’t protest against the war actions of their Allies. The alarming thing is that during the 47 Adminstrtn the authorities are publicly making an example of and ruining the lives of non citizens because civil protections for this category of people are not in place.

So these unconstitutional actions are directed towards immigrants who hold non criminal opposing views.

On the West Coast, at UCLA, a group of non student agitators who were also active previously during the 2020 riots, infiltrated the group of student protesters. They were never stopped initially (non students were allowed to take over student groups and camp on campus) nor charged or legally confronted when the protests turned inevitably violent. The opposing agitators, who viciously attacked the students with boards and flares also were never charged. Nor sued by anyone they injured as far as I know (could be that there is lack of reporting on this politically charged issue). All of this (violent rioting involving students) was watched by the news channels, the Campus Administration, campus police, the District, and County. Now the only actions taken by anyone against anyone are against UCLA students; some are not citizens. None of the pro and con agitators were exposed, profiled or charged for legal action as far as I know. I might not be aware though.

It’s kind of a spectacle, a passion play being ALLOWED to act out. The ultimate message to people (especially young people) is it’s risky to protest in the ways we all used to publicly protest. You get punished and are not safe or protected. But the real punishment and chilling example for all of us seems to be directed mostly at non citizens because they are vulnerable. They don’t have rights.
 
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It happened to a Fulbright scholar today - very similar situation. There is video footage and it’s disturbing to watch.
“ federal judge on Tuesday had ordered Ice and DHS to notify the court about her location, and ordered officials to give 48 hours before transferring Ozturk out of Massachusetts. The judge initially gave the government until Friday to respond. However, on Wednesday late afternoon, Ozturk’s location was updated to show she is detained in Louisiana. The government did not submit any documents or updates to the federal court docket before her location in Louisiana was published. Khanbabai and Ice did not respond to requests for comment. DHS did not respond to questions about her transfer to Louisiana.”

Also one of the men in El Salvador is a gay man who was seeking asylum and waiting in detention for his hearing on March 13 before being forced on the plane to the El Salvador Prison. Horrific.

IMG_6271.jpeg
 
Citizens need to be LOUD for those they are trying to silence. They want acquiescence and silence. These targeted attacks - yes attacks- are extremely disturbing and if people don't speak up, we are over.
 
What’s going on here goes so beyond one protestor who you may or may not agree with. Multiple countries have issued travel warnings for the US because it’s getting dangerous for people.

The Canadian woman who was held by ICE - in a for profit prison - cost the USA taxpayers $$$. All they had to do was decline her entry, they did not need to arrest her and illegally hold her without a lawyer etc etc. She was arrested for trying to apply for a visa, how else would they want her to try and enter?
These are the same people that had children in literal cages, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow still am. Due process is not being followed. People are being arrested first, charges made up later - if even at all!

This is starting to come down to: do you believe criminals have rights? Should they have rights?

Because if not, anyone can be labelled a criminal and have their rights stripped. And it seems a few people on here care more about the cause than the rights, which is completely inappropriate imo.

This is dangerous territory, and I think it’s going to really hurt tourism for the states. I read there has been a 70% drop in air travel from Canada, but other countries are taking notice as well.
 
telephone89 said:
What’s going on here goes so beyond one protestor who you may or may not agree with. Multiple countries have issued travel warnings for the US because it’s getting dangerous for people.

The Canadian woman who was held by ICE - in a for profit prison - cost the USA taxpayers $$$. All they had to do was decline her entry, they did not need to arrest her and illegally hold her without a lawyer etc etc. She was arrested for trying to apply for a visa, how else would they want her to try and enter?
These are the same people that had children in literal cages, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow still am. Due process is not being followed. People are being arrested first, charges made up later - if even at all!

This is starting to come down to: do you believe criminals have rights? Should they have rights?

Because if not, anyone can be labelled a criminal and have their rights stripped. And it seems a few people on here care more about the cause than the rights, which is completely inappropriate imo.

This is dangerous territory, and I think it’s going to really hurt tourism for the states. I read there has been a 70% drop in air travel from Canada, but other countries are taking notice as well.
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Not only is it going to hurt tourism but the education system is going to be wrecked. There are professors who are leaving because they don’t feel comfortable with The situation in the United States right now. And with all the funding that’s being cut it’s just going to cause a massive brain drain. People are not going to want to come here and do the type of cutting edge research that we had previously been known for.

I’m getting more abstract, but the diminishment of the humanities at the University level is also contributing to the overall problem. Even if you major in business or social sciences, you used to have to take English literature classes, foreign languages, and the like. These requirements are disappearing and universities are increasingly being run like a business instead of an institution that is supposed to inspire critical thinking and learning. It’s just bad for the human condition overall.
 
Mreader said:
Not only is it going to hurt tourism but the education system is going to be wrecked. There are professors who are leaving because they don’t feel comfortable with The situation in the United States right now. And with all the funding that’s being cut it’s just going to cause a massive brain drain. People are not going to want to come here and do the type of cutting edge research that we had previously been known for.

I’m getting more abstract, but the diminishment of the humanities at the University level is also contributing to the overall problem. Even if you major in business or social sciences, you used to have to take English literature classes, foreign languages, and the like. These requirements are disappearing and universities are increasingly being run like a business instead of an institution that is supposed to inspire critical thinking and learning. It’s just bad for the human condition overall.
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You’re absolutely correct. Tourism is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m not as familiar with the rest (being a Canadian), but these sort of “policies” will have far reaching consequences.
 
When we were in Africa we met people from all over the world. All of them made comments about what is happening here. I'm talking about both travelers and the workers. Some were scared, some incredulous, others disgusted. It was a real eye-opener to us that the world follows what happens here and the impact our actions have. While it was nice to commiserate with others, it was also embarrassing.
 
I’m way past being embarrassed. My feet are firmly planted in the disgusted and ashamed camp.
 
I know this is inconvenient when trying to paint every Palestinian a terrorist.

This is a Fox News report to top it off.
 
Rockdiamond said:
I know this is inconvenient when trying to paint every Palestinian a terrorist.

This is a Fox News report to top it off.
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Have any of them helped the hostages? Even when offered huge sums of money. Not one. They’re crying now because they’re hurting. Not for the hostages. For themselves.

Hamas doesn’t give a damn about their own people. That much is true


Israel is expected to stop a war it didn’t start
Free the hostages they didn’t abduct
Provide humanitarian aid to those who want to kill them
Negotiate peace with those who don’t want it
And be the perfect victim who doesn’t dare defend themselves against genocidal terrorists
 
We agree about Hamas.
missy said:
Have any of them helped the hostages?
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Neither of us know the answer. How difficult might it be to help even if one wanted to. Hamas has the guns.
I am pretty sure that there are Palestinians who are opposed to the actions of Hamas. Even Fox News is aware of this.
The painting of an entire people because of the bad actions of some or even a lot of the population. That is something, as a Jew, and an American, I find abhorrent. It leads to genocide. On either side.
We all want the killing and bombing to end. Can we agree on that?
 
Rockdiamond said:
We agree about Hamas.

Neither of us know the answer. How difficult might it be to help even if one wanted to. Hamas has the guns.
I am pretty sure that there are Palestinians who are opposed to the actions of Hamas. Even Fox News is aware of this.
The painting of an entire people because of the bad actions of some or even a lot of the population. That is something, as a Jew, and an American, I find abhorrent. It leads to genocide. On either side.
We all want the killing and bombing to end. Can we agree on that?
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Can we agree the war would be over tomorrow if

Hamas releases the hostages unconditionally and surrenders


Since October 8th those have been the conditions that would END this war that HAMAS started

All deaths are on Hamas
And all who support them
Every
Single
One
 
Can we agree that many Palestinians do not support Hamas? Even Fox News reports this.

So easy to use platitudes. Yes of course we want the hostages released. That in itself won’t end this.

Many innocent people are caught between two warring sides. Israelis are again subject to daily bombing raids.
Like I was.
I was subjected to Hamas attacks. Personally. Happened to me. Running for bomb shelters. Hearing, then feeling the Iron Dome protecting us.
No one hates Hamas more than me. But we’re not going in the right direction. We are not winning in any way shape or form.
Millions of Israelis are not happy with the way the situation is being handled.
 
Another point to remember… I think we all agree that United States is Israel’s best friend in the world. As the reputation and alliances of the United States are falling by the wayside, this will definitely have an impact on Israel and its world relations as we lose friends, so they. Countries that are less inclined to support Israel did because of respect for the USA.
We’ve lost pretty much all respect in the world. This is VERY bad for Israel
 
David we are going to have to agree to disagree.

I firmly believe most Gazans hate Jews and want them dead. Even those protesting Hamas. One has nothing to do with another. They can hate the havoc wreaked and hate Hamas while still wanting every single Jew dead

You’re projecting your humanity and your values on those who want to kill you

Each Gazan is responsible for massacring and torturing our people

They parade our dead like trophies
Each gazan was offered 5 million dollars to provide any information about the hostages whereabouts. Not one helped. Do you hear them asking for the release of the hostages? Me either

Maybe not 100% are involved but the overwhelming majority

There’s nothing to celebrate with them protesting. Nothing at all.
 
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