NCBL STATEMENT: Punishing Dissent - Unlawful Kidnapping & Deportation
- National Conference of Black Lawyers
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) joins with others to decry the Trump Administration's continuing use of kidnapping and deportation as a weapon to silence dissent. June 2025
NCBL denounces the unfolding strategy of the Trump Administration to punish those who are not U.S. citizens, albeit in the U.S. as permanent residents or visa holders, for daring to publicly oppose U.S.-supported genocide of the Palestinian people. The Trump Administration admits that Mahmoud Khalil and others snatched from their families and communities and forced into exile have documented immigrant status and have committed no crime, even in their protest.
The Trump Administration asserts that it may lawfully deport noncitizens in what amounts to retaliation for their speech in opposition to U.S. foreign policy. By doing so the Trump Administration is violating the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and international human rights laws that protect the right to free speech, protest and dissent.
The Trump Administration’s actions also serve to create fear for all people in the United States - documented and undocumented immigrants as well as United States citizens. Through this use of fear it seeks to quiet opposition and advance its cruel, inhumane agenda that supports genocide.
NCBL condemns the state-sponsored kidnapping, detention, efforts to report, and deportation of students and professors, including Mahmoud Khalil, Rumezya Oturk, Dr. Badan Khar Suri, and too many others.
As the legal arm of the Movement for Black Liberation, NCBL has provided legal support to many who have challenged the U.S. government’s repression and oppression of Black communities and those who seek justice and liberation.
Whether defending community members targeted for their protests, representing members of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, supporting and engaging in anti-apartheid protests, or serving as part of the mass legal defense system during the initial BLM protests, NCBL has stood up and will continue to stand up in support of those engaged in the fights for liberation and freedom.
Several organizations are on the frontlines of providing legal defense for those subjected to the Trump Administration’s abuse of power and violations of the United States Constitution.
These include:
The American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org)
Center for Constitutional Rights (ccrjustice.org)
Creating Law Enforcement, Accountability and Responsibility (cunyclear.org)
Palestine Legal (palestinelegal.org)
NCBL urges its members and allies to raise their voices in opposition to these flagrant abuses of power and violations of the United States Constitution. These actions endanger all of our rights to dissent. These actions are designed to chill all opposition, regardless of citizenship or migrant status.
Please share this statement broadly.
