Juana Summers

Consider this. The Trump administration's efforts to deport foreign-born students have set off alarm bells about where and when the First Amendment is applied. But it's not the first time our government has tried to deport student activists for pro-Palestinian speech. Almost 40 years ago, it tried to do the same thing on different legal grounds.

Coming up, we'll hear from a lawyer who defended those students about what's at stake. From NPR, I'm Juana Summers. It's Consider This from NPR. One morning in January of 1987, Michel Shahada, a Palestinian man who'd lawfully emigrated to the United States as a teenager, was taking care of his toddler son at home when federal agents arrived at his door and arrested him at gunpoint.

Coming up, we'll hear from a lawyer who defended those students about what's at stake. From NPR, I'm Juana Summers. It's Consider This from NPR. One morning in January of 1987, Michel Shahada, a Palestinian man who'd lawfully emigrated to the United States as a teenager, was taking care of his toddler son at home when federal agents arrived at his door and arrested him at gunpoint.

Coming up, we'll hear from a lawyer who defended those students about what's at stake. From NPR, I'm Juana Summers. It's Consider This from NPR. One morning in January of 1987, Michel Shahada, a Palestinian man who'd lawfully emigrated to the United States as a teenager, was taking care of his toddler son at home when federal agents arrived at his door and arrested him at gunpoint.

Shahada soon learned he was one of eight immigrants, mostly students and known as the L.A.A. arrested on charges relating to their pro-Palestinian activism. Fast forward to this month, when federal agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate student, and Georgetown professor Badar Kansouri. Like the LA8, both are in the U.S.

Shahada soon learned he was one of eight immigrants, mostly students and known as the L.A.A. arrested on charges relating to their pro-Palestinian activism. Fast forward to this month, when federal agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate student, and Georgetown professor Badar Kansouri. Like the LA8, both are in the U.S.

Shahada soon learned he was one of eight immigrants, mostly students and known as the L.A.A. arrested on charges relating to their pro-Palestinian activism. Fast forward to this month, when federal agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate student, and Georgetown professor Badar Kansouri. Like the LA8, both are in the U.S.

legally being threatened with deportation, and both are targets of the Trump administration's crackdown on what they describe as anti-Semitic pro-Hamas speech on college campuses across the country. For insight into this moment and what we can learn from the plight of the LA-8, we turn now to David Cole. He represented the LA-8 over their 20-year fight to remain in the United States.

legally being threatened with deportation, and both are targets of the Trump administration's crackdown on what they describe as anti-Semitic pro-Hamas speech on college campuses across the country. For insight into this moment and what we can learn from the plight of the LA-8, we turn now to David Cole. He represented the LA-8 over their 20-year fight to remain in the United States.

legally being threatened with deportation, and both are targets of the Trump administration's crackdown on what they describe as anti-Semitic pro-Hamas speech on college campuses across the country. For insight into this moment and what we can learn from the plight of the LA-8, we turn now to David Cole. He represented the LA-8 over their 20-year fight to remain in the United States.

David Cole, welcome to the program.

David Cole, welcome to the program.

David Cole, welcome to the program.

I just want to start by asking you, as briefly as you can, could you just walk us through what happened to the LA-8?

I just want to start by asking you, as briefly as you can, could you just walk us through what happened to the LA-8?

I just want to start by asking you, as briefly as you can, could you just walk us through what happened to the LA-8?

As you mentioned, these cases went on for more than two decades. How did that affect the lives of the L.A. families?

As you mentioned, these cases went on for more than two decades. How did that affect the lives of the L.A. families?

As you mentioned, these cases went on for more than two decades. How did that affect the lives of the L.A. families?

What are the similarities that you see between their case and those that are being brought today against Mahmoud Khalil and the others?