U.S. CONGRESSMAN SAYS TO-BE-DEPORTED PALESTINIAN 'SHOULD GO HOME'

The recent arrest and potential deportation of Syrian-born Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil in the US has sparked outrage. Activists across the country are calling for his immediate, unconditional release. In this clip, women-founded anti-imperialist organisation CodePink’s co-founder Medea Benjamin confronted US Congressman Burgess Owens on 12 March, who only replied that Khalil 'should go home' and that 'he's a terrorist,' with no evidence to back that claim.

Owens’ reply makes sense when we examine how much money US Congress members accept from pro-Israel lobbying groups. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) boasted in November 2024 that 210 of the 362 pro-Israel congress members and candidates it backed had won their respective seats. According to Open Secrets, AIPAC was Owens’ largest campaign funder, contributing $28,645 in 2024.

Khalil, a legal permanent resident holding a US green card—who earned a master’s degree in December 2024 from Columbia—was known for organising protests on campus against Israel's US-funded military onslaught of Palestinians. The first student encampment among many worldwide started on Columbia’s campus in April 2024. Back then, the university administration called the police to arrest student protesters. Interestingly, the former student was also arrested by federal authorities on 8 March in a university-owned apartment building, raising further questions about Columbia’s role in the government’s campaign against activists.

According to US President Donald Trump, Khalil’s arrest is the first ‘of many to come.’ It is especially shameful when Black people like Owens, who should know what it's like to live under oppression, choose to stand with the oppressor for material gain and to advance their political ambitions.

Video credit: @codepink (X) / @codepinkalert (IG) and @medeabenjamin (X) / @medea.benjamin (IG)

Sources

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/columbia-university-student-mahmoud-khalil-hearing-deportation/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/10/trump-arrest-palestinian-activist-mahmoud-khalil

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/burgess-owens/summary?cid=N00045812&cycle=2024&type=I 

https://x.com/AIPAC/status/1805794265299058922

https://apnews.com/article/inside-columbia-protest-movement-0b35ff55f18d0bf4b2c8c0a27b1dbe04

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/us/columbia-university-protests.html

https://www.facebook.com/AIPAC/posts/210-aipac-backed-candidates-won-their-election-so-far-tonightwe-are-proud-to-sta/1029600255864448