The U.S. Bill of Rights starts with the First Amendment, and there is a reason why it’s first. Safeguarding rights such as freedom of speech and of the press is crucial to the values that Americans hold dear.
But recently there has been reason for concern that these freedoms are no longer regarded as sacrosanct within the administration of President Donald Trump. The ability to criticize the government, seen as a bedrock for citizens, is an assurance that they are not subject to the prerogatives of a monarch but could speak freely.
Now there are several cases fueling a drive by the federal administration to make other values paramount.
It is this worrying trend line that should prompt Americans, in Hawaii and across the country, to speak up in defense of these rights.
In particular, while court proceedings have not played out to illuminate all the facts, it appears that the political speech of international college students, all in this country legally, has come into the federal crosshairs.
Their speech, in protests and in published articles, is being cited as one cause for revoking their permits — student visas in some cases, a permanent-resident green card in another — and readying them for deportation.
On the free-press front, there have been moves to constrain media organizations whose coverage has come under fire from the White House — and many people implicated in this crackdown are American citizens.
The signs of this conflict became apparent early in the administration most notably when the Associated Press did not adopt the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, as Trump preferred. In retaliation, the White House curtailed access given to the news agency.
Other news organizations have come under fire as well, most recently the Voice of America, the long-established government-funded broadcast entity that brings news coverage to other countries.
Fortunately, the ax has not yet fallen on VOA. A federal judge on Friday blocked the firing of more than 1,200 journalists, engineers and other staffers by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which runs Voice of America and other services, such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia.
The ejection of international students from this country is being adjudicated as well. The process began March 8 when officers of U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) arrested Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident.
Khalil’s pro-Palestinian activism during last year’s protests against the war in Gaza is at the center of the case against him. The government is citing various legal provisions in revoking his green card, including allegations that he concealed his employment status at the time of his application for permanent residency, as well as other facts.
If these activities do run afoul of U.S. foreign policy, as asserted, the administration has to make that case. The executive branch does have wide latitude in immigration enforcement, but the free-speech imperative has to be weighed as well.
There are numerous other foreign students targeted nationally; so far, the searchlight has not landed on Hawaii. This issue requires vigilance by University of Hawaii officials and other free-speech advocates; UH has many international students with rights to peaceful protest that should be protected.
Emphasis on “peaceful.” A man at a protest Sunday fronting the Waikiki Tesla showroom was arrested on third-degree assault charges.
The First Amendment does not shield anyone from breaking laws. But Americans must defend the freedom of speech itself. Protest loudly, but legally. Once this precious right is lost, it’s a steep climb to reclaim it.
