Speaker 1 (00:01):
A member of Mahmoud's legal team who was just inside.
Ramzi Kassem (00:05):
Hi, everyone. Yeah. Ramzi Kassem, R-A-M-Z-I K-A-S-S-E-M from CLEAR, just coming out of the Third Circuit argument. So, Mahmoud is on his way and he'll take a couple of questions when he gets here. The court just wrapped up oral argument, this is the government's appeal on the district court's decision to preliminarily enjoin his unconstitutional, the Secretary of State's determination that he should be removed, and so the government took an appeal from that. The government also appealed the bail determination that released him from detention in Louisiana on June 20th. And so, the court will now take these issues under deliberation and it's obviously unclear when the decision will issue. Of course, on our end, we're continuing to press forth, both in this court behind me and the district court in New Jersey, and in immigration court in Louisiana to vindicate Mahmoud's constitutional rights and his rights to remain here with his family as a lawful permanent resident.
(01:02)
So I don't know if there are any questions or anything like that, otherwise he'll be here in a couple of minutes.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
How are you and he feeling, and how's the team feeling after what occurred today? What was the vibe inside the courtroom?
Ramzi Kassem (01:15):
The judges had a lot of tough questions for the government. The government went up first, and of course they had some appropriately incisive questions for us as well. It's always hard to predict which way the court's going to rule, but they're clearly giving this case the attention and the deliberation it deserves. And we're hopeful as always, and no matter what the outcome is, we'll continue to fight, because obviously what's at stake is not just Mahmoud's right to speak up in defense of Palestinian human rights and his ability to stay here in this country with his US citizen wife and child. But everyone's first amendment rights and everyone's due process rights are at stake in a case like this one.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Any kind of ballpark as to how long this might take, is there any kind of precedent before? Is there a window? I know obviously [inaudible 00:02:07] wide open. Do you have a guesstimate of how long this may take?
Ramzi Kassem (02:11):
In terms of the Third Circuit US Court of Appeals' decision, what we know is that the court is obviously treating this with the attention and speed that it warrants, given the weight of the Constitutional issues, the First Amendment issues, the due process issues. So that would lead me to expect that the decision is not going to take an unduly long time, but it's always very hard to put a number on that. Any other questions?
Speaker 5 (02:40):
He's coming?
Ramzi Kassem (02:44):
Yep. He's on his way.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
Right there [inaudible 00:02:48].
Ramzi Kassem (02:48):
Sure.
Speaker 6 (02:49):
[inaudible 00:02:49] tell us how you feel about today's proceedings?
Ramzi Kassem (02:52):
Yeah. Our sentiment is that the court is giving this case the attention, the close attention and speed, and deliberation that it deserves. We're as always feeling optimistic and we'll continue to fight no matter what the outcome is here, both in this court, in other courts, in district court, in New Jersey, and in immigration court to vindicate not just Mahmoud's rights to speak up for Palestinian lives and dignity, but everybody's first Amendment rights and due process rights in this country.
Speaker 6 (03:21):
Would you say this speaks to that question?
Ramzi Kassem (03:21):
Absolutely.
Speaker 6 (03:21):
[inaudible 00:03:25].
Ramzi Kassem (03:28):
This is clearly an important and unique case that everyone's following closely, including this court, appropriately. Thank you.
Mahmoud Khalil (03:35):
Thank you so much for holding the floor. Is this yours?
Ramzi Kassem (03:37):
No.
Mahmoud Khalil (03:40):
Okay. Well, thank you so much everyone for coming and yeah, we just finished a long hearing and hopefully we'll need to talk to the legal team about the legal stuff. But I feel confident, of course, the Trump administration is still trying to re-detain me. They're trying to stop actually the federal court from looking at my case, because they know they don't have a case against me. So we'll keep fighting the legal fight until the end, and we are pretty confident that we'll prevail at the end. It was actually also like, the government lawyers were defending the indefensible. No argument whatsoever. Just like you can't look at this, which is again, it's about our case being literally detained for over 100 days and for literally protesting a genocide. They don't have anything other than that. That's why they're choosing a kangaroo court, which is the immigration court, because they know they can control that process.
(04:54)
So we are confident that hopefully the federal court will vindicate us at the end. I will take a couple of questions and then we have, you can ask all the legal questions to my team. I don't like, I'm not a lawyer, so you can tune into that, I think at 1130.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
1130.
Mahmoud Khalil (05:14):
I trust you have the link, but if you have any questions, please go ahead.
Speaker 8 (05:19):
Kind of a pseudo legal question, how do you feel about the legal system, the American court system?
Mahmoud Khalil (05:24):
Say that again?
Speaker 8 (05:24):
How do you feel about the American legal system standing here in front of the federal court house?
Mahmoud Khalil (05:29):
I mean, the fact that the government tried to put me in prison and disappear me, and the legal system vindicate me. That means it is robust. However, this administration is trying everything to do to actually weaken this system at every conjecture, at every corner they're trying to undermine the legal system. That's why it's very important that the American public in general, they stand up for the judicial system in this country.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
Speaking of the public, what was your reaction to seeing those supporters outside?
Mahmoud Khalil (06:12):
Oh, I mean, it was fantastic to see so many supporters outside and overwhelming, absolutely. On a Tuesday morning, who would come out to support someone they don't know? So it was great to see people who know that my right and their rights is the same, and this case is not about Mahmoud Khalil. This case is about every single person in this country, whether they're citizens or not. This case is about their freedom of speech and their ability to dissent and their ability to speak up, especially about Palestine, about the genocide that's happening in Gaza.
Speaker 9 (06:50):
And folks, do we have one last question from the group?
Mahmoud Khalil (06:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (06:50):
You were detained, I understand, during your birth of your first child, is that correct?
Mahmoud Khalil (06:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (06:50):
Can you speak a little bit to your detainment and why you're fighting so hard, obviously, against it?
Mahmoud Khalil (07:03):
The Trump administration, when they detained me for 104 days and they shoved me through the other side of the country over 1000 miles away from my family, and making me miss the birth of my first child. That was definitely difficult. It was designed to be cruel. They want to break me, because they want to deport me, to be out as soon as possible, so that others would fear speaking out. That's why I'm continuing to fight, because this administration want everyone, whether it's about Palestine, specifically about Palestine, if you speak about Palestine, they want to disappear you. They want to make you fear that speech, and this is why it's important, just to show that actually we have the law is in our side. The morality of everything is in our side. So there's nothing wrong about protesting a genocide. There's nothing wrong about protesting all these taxpayer money that's going to Israel to fund all the killing happening in Palestine, and elsewhere as well. So thank you so much, everyone, for-
Speaker 9 (08:18):
Thank you, all, and we're…