When government agents surrounded Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil and his pregnant wife outside their New York City apartment over the weekend, it marked a chilling escalation in the battle over free speech in America. Those agents weren’t enforcing immigration policy; they were sending a message about the consequences of political expression.

After serving as a negotiator during campus protests against Israel’s war on Gaza, Khalil became the target of what his attorney called “a profound doxing campaign for two months related to his First Amendment protected activities” — harassment so severe he had desperately sought help from university leadership.