US Government Crackdown on Anti-Imperialist and Revolutionary Activists
Featured image: students face police presence at the City University of New York (CUNY). Source: Spencer Platt.
The United States (US) government, under both Joe Biden or Donald Trump, has unleashed fierce repression on the anti-imperialist and revolutionary movement within its borders in recent years. The increasing protest and pro-Palestine solidarity in the US have led its imperialist State to attempt to quell the growing anti-imperialist movement. After Joe Biden’s failure to do so, the current US President, Donald Trump, is leading a reactionarization of the State by implementing new measures such as fiercely targeting migrant workers in the US. This attack is led by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which detains and deports hundreds of people. 300 foreign students have been targeted by these measures, specifically by the use of an anti-communist law, originally enacted in 1952. These students, who are being detained and deported, have been targeted due to their solidarity and participation in the pro-Palestine protests and movement at US universities. A Nova Democracia has published a more detailed article on this law:
Democratic rights such as freedom of speech on college campuses also under attack. As the Palestine Chronicle has reported, the cases of deportations of migrants are part of a policy aimed at suppressing dissent within US borders. There are reports of increased surveillance efforts, which affect social media, electronic communications of different kind, and the use of other intrusive measures. The focus of this policy of suppressing dissent is the anti-imperialist movement and its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, which has driven thousands of people to the streets since October 2023. As a result many activists and intellectuals who have spoken out against the ongoing genocide, perpetrated by the State of Israel in Palestine, have been targeted and are facing threats of deportation. There are numerous cases in recent months: Brown University Professor Dr. Rasha Alawieh, deported to Lebanon in March; Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, who still struggles against the State to remain in the country and avoid deportation; Rümeysa Öztürk, Tufts University student from Turkey, detained in March; Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most known cases, which sparked protests throughout the country. His case is still ongoing, and a federal judge recently instructed the Trump administration to detail the legal precedent for the plan to deport Mahmoud Khalil. We have reported on this repressive case:
Revolutionary student activists have also faced criminalization while struggling for specific demands at their universities. On Wednesday, April 16th, the Student Panthers, members of the Revolutionary Student Union (RSU), organized a rally that gathered more than 100 students to protest against the “decaying, unmaintained, and insufficient housing for students on campus.” Police deemed the rally a ‘riot’. RSU reports that armed police surrounded the location and “During the protest, police brutally tackled, handcuffed, and carried away five people.” Several organizations have signed a joint statement in solidarity with the students:
But of course this fierce repression unleashed by Yankee imperialism within its own borders did not start with the Trump administration. This new wave of repression against the pro-Palestine movement and activists in United States began under Joe Biden administration. After Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, Yankee imperialism made many efforts to quell solidarity and resistance, also within its borders. In 2024 United States imposed sanctions against Samidoun, accusing the organization of being a “sham charity” that raise funds for a blacklisted, left-wing Palestinian political organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), designated as a terrorist group by US government. Additionally almost 3,000 students were arrested under the Biden administration in the widespread repression against the pro-Palestine movement at dozens of universities and colleges throughout the United States.
Some other anti-imperialist prisoners are still waiting for their liberation; for example is the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther member, convicted and sentenced to death in 1982, who has recently seen his appeal based on new evidence of prosecutor misconduct denied.
