‘Let Me Be Clear’: Sen. Cruz Provides Civics Lesson To Democrats Who Support Mahmoud Khalil

In the days since immigration officials detained Syrian-born Mahmoud Khalil for leading a violent, anti-Israel protest at Columbia University last year, leftists have engaged in protests demanding that he be allowed to remain in the U.S.

pic.twitter.com/KIt3NwObXx Todays protests at Trump Tower over Mahmoud Khalil‼️

— Judge Jeanine Pirro (@jeanine_pirro56) March 13, 2025

Of course, plenty of Americans who understand the U.S. Constitution and America’s immigration laws were quick to point out that non-citizens like Khalil are not protected by the First Amendment.

One such expert is U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who sought to set the record straight during a recent episode of his “Verdict” podcast.

As Breitbart reported:

“Under U.S. law, American citizens are protected by the First Amendment. Foreigners are not. A visa to come to this country as a student, that is a permissive decision. And you do not have a right, if you are a guest to this country, to actively undermine America,” he stated.

Delivering a sharp warning against foreign nationals engaging in anti-American activism, Senator Cruz asserted that those who “hate America” have no place in the country.

“Let me be clear to anyone. If you hate America, if you want to undermine America, do not come to this country,” he stated, insisting that the Trump administration “rightly” arrested and plans to deport Khalil for “organizing anti-Israel, anti-America, pro-Hamas protests.”

Senator Cruz also called out the reaction of Democrats, who have expressed outrage and are determined to “stand with Khalil” and the “anti-Israel, pro-Hamas protesters.”

“So if you want to know where you stand — if you stand with Israel, if you stand with American Jews, if you stand with freedom, if you stand with the right to be free from oppression and violence — that ain’t the Democrats,” he stated. “They stand with those engaged in violence.”

While the protests received rousing support from Hamas supporters across the country and around the world, many social media users were outraged by the ongoing demonstrations:

George Floyd was a convicted felon who went to jail 8 times.

He held a gun to a pregnant woman’s stomach during a robbery.

Mahmoud Khalil led a violent protest at Columbia in support of Hamas.

He led a campaign of terror against Jews.

These are the ‘heroes’ of the Left. pic.twitter.com/adsiR5Ke6y

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) March 13, 2025

Why do we allow people like Mahmoud Khalil to come to the U.S. from their dumpy third world countries—where people have no rights whatsoever—to lecture us, protest us, and engage in political activism?

No other country in the world tolerates this. We shouldn’t either

Full vid⬇️ pic.twitter.com/GKwJc1ZWhE

— Eduardo Neret (@eduneret) March 13, 2025

What specifically did this “kid” do?

So happy you asked:

– Khalil was suspended and then reinstated as a Columbia student after he was involved in a violent pro-Palestinian protest at the school’s Hamilton Hall last April

– he is the head of a group whose mission is the… pic.twitter.com/TkZEDE7AfS

— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) March 12, 2025

Here’s a full transcript of the truncated post above:

What specifically did this “kid” do?

So happy you asked:

– Khalil was suspended and then reinstated as a Columbia student after he was involved in a violent pro-Palestinian protest at the school’s Hamilton Hall last April

– he is the head of a group whose mission is the destruction of Western Civilization through revolution

– he attended, organized and planned protests that handed out literature that said Hamas Media Group on it

– the day 15 AMERICAN citizens were plowed down by a terrorist on New Year’s Day he organized a protest in NY where they called for a Global Infantida

– before coming here he worked for an organization that has been designated as a terrorist group by the Trump administration

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A green card is a privilege. Abuse that privilege by showing us you have great hatred and disdain for America and western civilization in general we revoke that privilege.

Does that clear things up for you?

Cruz’s remarks echoed those of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, per Fox News:

“When you come to the United States as a visitor, which is what a visa is – which is how this individual entered this country, on a visitor’s visa – as a visitor, we can deny you that visa,” Rubio said. “When you tell us when you apply, ‘Hi, I’m trying to get into the United States on a student visa. I am a big supporter of Hamas, a murderous, barbaric group that kidnaps children, that rapes teenage girls, that takes hostages, that allows them to die in captivity, that returns more bodies than live hostages,’ if you tell us that you are in favor of a group like this and if you tell us when you apply for your visa, ‘and by the way, I intend to come to your country as a student and rile up all kinds of anti-Jewish student, antisemitic activities, I intend to shut down your universities,’ if you told us all these things when you applied for your visa, we would deny your visa. I’d hope we would.”

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Here’s some additional coverage of the developing story:

And here’s a relevant clip from “Verdict”:

American citizens are protected by the First Amendment.

Mahmoud Khalil is not a citizen. He is a guest in this country, and he has no right to actively undermine America or spread hate and violence here.

The Trump administration rightly arrested Mahmoud and is planning to… pic.twitter.com/l3rXPL9WS4

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 12, 2025