Joint Letter to Secretary Noem

March 13, 2025- A coalition of American Jewish organizations sent a letter today to the Trump administration expressing deep concerns about his exploitation of antisemitism. We are especially deeply disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the apprehension and detention of Mahmoud Khalil. Arresting and/or deporting people because of their political views goes against the very foundation of our national identity and is profoundly un-American. See below for the full text of the letter:

March 13, 2025 

The Honorable Kristi Noem 
Secretary 
US Department of Homeland Security 
301 7th Street, SW 
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Noem: 

We write as organizations committed to combating antisemitism and to the democratic principles that have allowed Jews to thrive in this country. We are deeply disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the apprehension and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of student protests at Columbia University, by the Department of Homeland Security. We fear that this could be the first of many similar situations, so we are speaking out now to share our concerns. 

We are troubled by President Trump’s claim that detaining Mr. Khalil is part of an effort to fight antisemitism. Our community is extremely concerned about the rise of antisemitism, including antisemitic rhetoric at campus protests and the harassment of Jewish students. Universities should address these serious incidents according to their own codes of conduct and indeed many of our organizations have advocated for universities to handle these situations better and differently than they have thus far. 

Irrespective of the content of Mr. Khalil’s speech, we firmly believe that his arrest does nothing to make Jews safer. American democracy has helped to ensure the safety of the Jewish community in this country. In the past, laws and policies that limit the right to free speech have often been wielded against the Jewish community, and we are worried that we are seeing signs that they are being wielded against Muslim, Arab, and other minority communities now. 

We urge the Administration to ensure that Mr. Khalil has access to due process and cease efforts to detain or deport other legal permanent residents or student visa holders without due process. We especially ask you to stop using the necessary fight against antisemitism as a pretext for anti-democratic actions. At a moment when antisemitic threats are affecting every Jewish community in America, the last thing we need is for the administration to co-opt the fight against antisemitism in a way that makes our community and other minority communities less safe.

Sincerely,

—

ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action

Habonim Dror North America

J Street

New Israel Fund

New Jewish Narrative 

New York Jewish Agenda

Nexus

Partners for Progressive Israel

Reconstructing Judaism

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights