This statement was co-authored by an ad hoc group of Jewish students, faculty and staff of Georgetown University, including Jason Goodman (GRD ’26), Sarah Minion (LAW ’26), Emma Pinto (LAW ’27), Jonathan Mendoza (GRD ’26), Ethan Weisbaum (GRD ’29), Alyssa Kristeller (GRD ’25), Professor Lois Wessel (School of Nursing, School of Medicine), Professor Julia Watts Belser (College of Arts & Sciences) and others who preferred to remain anonymous. The authors have incorporated contributions from various signatories. This statement does not represent any particular organization or institution.
We are Jewish students, faculty, staff and alumni of Georgetown University. While we may hold varying opinions and perspectives on Israel and Palestine, we all agree that the growing wave of politically motivated campus deportation efforts is an authoritarian move being disingenuously undertaken in the name of Jewish safety that harms the entire campus community. We encourage Jews and everyone — at Georgetown and beyond — to take action and speak out.
On March 17, masked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents approached Georgetown postdoctoral fellow Dr. Badar Khan Suri at his home as he was returning from a Ramadan gathering. Despite having a valid visa, the agents detained Dr. Khan Suri and rapidly transferred him to a detention center in Louisiana and then Texas. Dr. Khan Suri is a valued member of the Georgetown community. In addition to the impact this has had on him, these events have terrified his students and colleagues, his wife, three young children, parents and his broader family and friends.
The political arrest, detention and attempted deportation of Dr. Khan Suri and others across the United States, including Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University Ph.D candidate Rumeysa Ozturk, as well as the revocation of hundreds of student and work visas, are transgressions of civil liberties by the Trump administration and DHS that are commonly seen under authoritarian governments. This should alarm us all.
The Trump administration is waging attacks on our spaces of learning, including by politically targeting, harassing, detaining and attempting to deport Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, international and immigrant community members, all while claiming to do so in the name of Jewish safety. Exemplified by tweets such as “SHALOM, MAHMOUD,” President Trump is weaponizing Jewish identity, faith and fears of antisemitism as a smokescreen for his authoritarian agenda, further damaging the campus climate for everyone. Making Jews the face of this autocratic initiative feeds antisemitic conspiracy theories and is dangerous for Jews, on campuses and beyond. For multiple reasons, it is crucial that we as Jewish community members at Georgetown speak out and act against this. We encourage Jews on and off campuses everywhere to do the same.
We call on President Trump and DHS to immediately release Dr. Khan Suri and all those they have unjustly detained and to cease all authoritarian actions against our campuses, which are harming and endangering everyone, Jewish community members included.
We ask Jewish community leaders and institutions, including Hillel and the Anti-Defamation League, to clearly and officially condemn and oppose these acts, rather than remain silent, merely acknowledge concerns or even endorse these actions.
We support our campus administration in its Jesuit commitment to “build an environment where all members of our community are free to express their thoughts” and where we recognize “the human dignity of all.” We ask Georgetown to continue and strengthen these efforts to protect free speech and immigrant students, faculty, staff and community members.
We call on our elected officials to push back against all political detentions, deportations and attacks on universities and to defend civil liberties, tolerance and safety for everyone across our campus communities.
We are horrified to see this escalating authoritarian action that will only worsen and expand unless we act. We urge everyone — especially our fellow Jewish community members, regardless of your political orientation — to make your voices heard however you are able. As the Book of Esther recently reminded us on Purim, “it is possible that you are in this position precisely so you may take righteous action.” (4:14).
We invite Georgetown’s Jewish community members to please add their names to the statement at tinyurl.com/gujewsspeakout, and we encourage Jews and everyone on and off campuses across the country to take similar action and speak out. This statement has been signed by 137 Jewish students, faculty, staff and alumni of Georgetown University, including religious, academic, and student leaders as of April 10.
