John,

Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil missed the birth of his child this week as he remains stuck in an ICE detention center just for participating in peaceful protests.

The Trump administration denied Mahmoud’s request for temporary release to attend his son’s birth and be by his wife’s side during this once-in-a-lifetime moment. The cruelty is the point.

Meanwhile, Justice Democrats Rep. Ayanna Pressley joined a cohort of Congressmembers in visiting Mahmoud and Rumeysa Ozturk at the Louisiana ICE detention center where the two activists have been locked for over a month.

We need more courageous leaders like Ayanna willing to speak out and stand up for all of our basic rights to freedom of speech and due process. Far too many members of Congress remain silent in the face of this authoritarian administration.

We’re trying to change that by electing more working-class progressives to Congress in 2026. Will you directly support our efforts to recruit and endorse bold candidates to challenge Republicans and Do-Nothing Democrats with a contribution today?

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In solidarity,

Justice Democrats