The Point Conversations and insights about the moment.
The New York Times
The Trump administration has been savvy in choosing unpopular targets: dismantling foreign aid, targeting transgender people, demonizing migrants and trashing elite colleges. Each of these moves chips away at bedrock American ideals. But free speech is not
Christy Grace Provines
The detention and removal to an out of state facility, of a permanent resident of the US, fellow New Yorker and alum from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) is abhorrent and unnerving. SIPA, like NYC, is highly diverse - home to many points of view and belief systems - and thrives through shared humanity and finding common ground. For the Trump Administration to attempt to stamp out freedom of expression and opposition in this way is un-American and un-democratic. Period. SIPA, connected to Columbia’s Law School, is ~70% international students… I myself spent three weeks in Israel and the Palestinian Territories on behalf of SIPA as part of a peace and security delegation in 2017 - this delegation was led by Israeli and Palestinian SIPA students and faculty. I take some comfort that the greatest minds, strongest voices, and most capable legal advisory will be and, no doubt are, working to bring Mahmoud home…. To say nothing of the SIPA student body, faculty and alumni community who stand in solidarity. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/nyregion/mahmoud-khalil-ice-louisiana.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
