If you “hate America” or try to undermine it, “I won't come to this country,” declared Sen. Ted Cruz, who has mandated the arrest and restraint of pro-Hama activists and Syrian citizen Mahmoud Khalil.
Wednesday's episode The Republican senator addressed the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Syrian-born graduate student at Columbia University, of his podcast, “Verification with Ted Cruz.”
Halil, who enrolled in the United States as a student in 2022 and later obtained a green card through marriage to American citizens, has been accused of coordinating demonstrations that were perceived as being anti-American and supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
“He got his green card very quickly and in his time in America… he organized anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, pro-Hama protests,” Senator Cruz said.
Addressing those opposed to Khalil's detention on the left, he stressed that American citizens are protected under the First Amendment, but that these protections do not extend to foreigners engaged in activities that undermine the country.
“Under US law, American citizens are protected by the First Amendment. Foreigners are not. Visas coming to this country as a student, that is a tolerant decision. And if you are a guest in this country, you have no right to actively undermine America,” he said.
Senator Cruz issued a sharp warning to foreigners engaged in anti-American activities, claiming 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, don't come to this country,” he said, claiming that the Trump administration has arrested “rightly” and “planned to deport Halil to organize anti-Israel, anti-American and pro-Hama protests.
Senator Cruz also expressed his anger and called for the response of Democrats who are determined to “stay with Halil” and “anti-Israel, pro-Hama protestor.”
“So if you want to know where you stand – if you stand with Israel, if you stand with the Jews of America, if you stand with freedom, if you stand with the right to be free from oppression and violence, then you are not a Democrat,” he said. “They stand with people engaged in violence.”
The issue comes as Halil, who was arrested by ice on Saturday for ties with Prohama's activism and is currently facing deportation, continues to gain support from Democrats and many on the left.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @joshuaklein.
