The Associate Students of Madison — the student governing body at the University of Wisconsin — passed a piece of legislation titled “Keep Our Speech Free” during Wednesday evening’s ASM student council meeting, according to a statement from ASM Chair Dominic Zappia.
The legislation was passed 11 days following student activist Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest by ICE agents March 8. Khalil was arrested for his prominent role in protests against Israel at Columbia University in the spring of 2024, according to AP News.
Through the new legislation, ASM will establish protections for students’ right to free speech, ensure the UW-Madison Police Department resumes meetings with ASM’s elected Police Advisory Committee members and update legal resources for students.
ASM also called for UW Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin to express public commitment to protecting and upholding students’ First Amendment rights.
The legislation, sponsored by Chloe Shomo and co-sponsored by Rep. Thomas Niepsuj and Equity & Inclusion Chair Camren Livermore, cited previous cases where student activists have been arrested, detained or had their student visas revoked.
Columbia University student Ranjani Srinivasan’s student visa was canceled following involvement in a student protest, while Liu Lijun — a Chinese graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles — had her student visa revoked after organizing pro-Palestinian protests, according to the legislation.
Before the legislation was passed, ASM released an official statement Wednesday afternoon denouncing the unlawful arrest of Khalil.
“As UW-Madison’s Student Government, we condemn federal immigration enforcement for unlawfully targeting these students and Columbia University for any compliance with this abuse of power,” ASM said in the press release.
