‘Freedom of speech is over’: Widespread horror as the Trump regime begins arresting people who oppose its policies

Conservatives have been bleating about the end of freedom of speech for decades. Their complaints usually boil down to receiving pushback for using slurs in public but (often very annoyingly), like every person within the United States of America, they’re legally protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, which enshrines freedom of speech as one of the nation’s core principles.

Well, Donald Trump has taken the Constitution and shredded it, as his thugs are now scooping up people who disagree with his policies off the street and imprisoning them in internment camps. There are no ifs, buts, or maybes here: pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is a permanent resident of the United States with a green card who was in his apartment when ICE agents burst in, snatched him in front of his pregnant wife, and bundled him into the back of a van. He’s now being held in a Louisiana detention facility.

Khalil’s “crime” was helping lead Columbia University’s student encampment movement protesting Israel’s destruction of Palestine — beliefs which, according to Trump, make him an “agitator” who must be punished. On the conceit that Khalil’s political stance means he’s “aligned” with Hamas (though, importantly, not actually linked to them in any way), the government is attempting to deport him to an unknown destination. Trump has chillingly promised that this is the “first arrest of many to come.”

Whether you agree with Khalil’s position on the Israel/Palestine conflict or not, this development should make any American’s blood run cold. No longer do you need to have committed a crime to be arrested and imprisoned by the U.S. Government — you merely need to publically hold opinions that the administration disagrees with.

As a measure of how much these actions go against the foundational principles of the United States, even far-right firebrand Ann Coulter (!!) sounded a note of alarm, indicating this is a clear violation of the First Amendment.

There’s almost no one I don’t want to deport, but, unless they’ve committed a crime, isn’t this a violation of the first amendment? https://t.co/PJxc1FQafU

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 10, 2025

As we speak, a judge has issued an emergency stay on Khalil’s imprisonment and deportation, and rapid legal moves are underway to have the Trump regime’s actions declared illegal. Democratic leader Hakeen Jefferies has demanded that the Department of Homeland Security produce any “acts and evidence of criminal activity” and underlined that “the actions undertaken by the Trump administration are wildly inconsistent with the United States Constitution.”

The organization Jewish Voice for Peace has also stepped in, describing this arrest as “outrageous” and intended to silence political expression in the country, going on to outright call the situation “the fascist playbook.”

Ask yourself: Which opinions do you hold that disagree with the Trump administration? Have you made any public statements that could “align” you with any proscribed groups? Would you feel comfortable expressing them now, knowing that government agents might smash down your front door, slip a black bag over your head, and disappear you into some privately run detention facility?

For decades, this kind of repressive and fascistic government action has been the territory of repressive dictatorships, with Americans always able to rely on the simple and straightforward words of the Constitution for their protection. Getting arrested for your opinions is something that happens in other countries, right? Well, those days are over, so, from now on, watch what you say, and who you say it to. Or else.