Congressman Sherman Statement on Recent Arrests of Anti-Israel Protesters by the Trump Administration

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) released the following statement:

"It is no secret that the United States is facing a crisis of antisemitism, particularly on college campuses. While it is vital that officials at all levels confront this issue with urgency, the Trump Administration’s recent actions to target students who have protested Israel in a manner that has not violated any law or involved violence has crossed a serious line. Images of these students being arrested by unidentified, masked agents are disturbing. 

Since Hamas’s brutal massacre of 1,200 innocent Israelis, Americans, and others on October 7th, 2023, we’ve seen a shocking wave of antisemitism on campus – including violence, destruction of property, taking over buildings, and support for designated terrorist organizations. We’ve also seen students expressing support for ideas that I personally find reprehensible – but are not in any way illegal. 

The First Amendment protects all nonviolent speech, including speech that supports ideologies we believe to be abhorrent. By failing to distinguish between those who break the law by engaging in violence from those who express support for ideas we may find reprehensible, President Trump is using the very real threat of antisemitism to undermine the central American tenant of freedom of speech – which the Supreme Court has ruled on multiple occasions applies to citizens and noncitizens alike. By conducting these actions without regard for the right to due process, the President is undermining the most core American rights and values."

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