America’s new McCarthyism

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers last week detained a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University without any charges or explanation. Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested in Somerville, Massachusetts, as she was going to meet friends for iftar. She was handcuffed and her phone was confiscated. Is this a case of deja vu? Yes, it has happened before. America is supposed to be the land of the free, but it has experienced an episode where the state was repressive. In the 1950s, there was a witch hunt against anyone who was suspected of being sympathetic to or of promoting communist ideas. This was McCarthyism. What we are witnessing today in the US is a new version of McCarthyism.
McCarthyism is named for Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy. He was a little-known junior senator from Wisconsin in February 1950, when he claimed to possess a list of 205 US State Department employees who were card-carrying communists. McCarthy then spearheaded a witch hunt against communists. This period was known as the “red scare.” The main targets were government employees, prominent figures in the entertainment industry, academics, left-wing politicians and labor union activists.
The new repressive wave in the US has started with the targeting of academics and students. Ozturk, who was accused by the Department of Homeland Security of engaging “in activities in support of Hamas,” was not the first to be detained. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, was reportedly detained for his role in the organization of a pro-Palestine encampment. The State Department is seeking to revoke his visa even though he has not been charged with any crimes. Khalil is a green card holder and is married to a US citizen.
President Donald Trump has promised to crack down on “un-American activity” and stated that the arrest of Khalil was “the first of many to come.”
The creators of Project 2025, which Trump distanced himself from while campaigning but was rumored to be his plan of action once he took power, last year unveiled another plan known as “Project Esther.” Esther is a biblical figure purported to have saved her people from the wrath of a Persian king. The project is supposed to fight antisemitism on campus. However, it foresees a plan to crack down on protests and deport pro-Palestinian activists.
The Trump administration did not only detain Khalil, it also withdrew $400 million in funding from Columbia University and told it to address the issue of “antisemitism.” The university bowed to the White House’s requests and the funding was restored. Among the many demands, Columbia was told to place its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department under new leadership. Columbia is not the only one in this situation. The Trump administration has warned at least 60 other universities of possible action over their alleged failure to comply with federal civil rights laws related to antisemitism. Academics are appalled that the state is using funds to control academia.

While pro-Israeli right-wingers praise the move as a crackdown on people who sympathize with Hamas, others are appalled. 

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

Antisemitism is being used as a scarecrow in the same way communism was in the 1950s. It is being used to infringe on people’s rights and free speech. Ironically, Vice President J.D. Vance in February scolded Europe for not respecting free speech. In Vance’s view, Europe, which has tried to rein in far-right groups that are inherently antisemitic, is stifling free speech. However, at home, the administration is labeling any pro-Palestinian activism as antisemitic.
Also ironically, Jewish protesters this month gathered in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York demanding Khalil’s release. Supporters of the Jewish Voice for Peace, a progressive Jewish organization, carried banners and wore red shirts that read: “Jews say stop arming Israel.” However, 65 of them were arrested. It seems that, according to the current administration, Jews demanding the end of genocide or advocating for the release of Khalil are engaging in “pro-terrorist, antisemitic, anti-American activity.”
The courts are startled. A federal judge has ordered the government to explain the detention of Ozturk. The judge also restricted her transfer outside Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Jesse Furman, an observant Jewish judge, last week issued an order blocking Khalil’s deportation. The courts also ruled that Yunseo Chung, a Korean American student at Columbia University, cannot be deported for her pro-Palestinian activism.
This is creating a major point of contention in American society. While pro-Israeli right-wingers praise the move as a crackdown on people who sympathize with Hamas, others are appalled. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said that people should stand up for Khalil regardless of whether they agree with his views. He said they should support him because the assault on Khalil is an assault on free speech and they could be next.
The scene today is very similar to that of the 1950s. The state has created a bogeyman to increase its control over society. It infringes on the American people’s freedom on the pretext of saving them from communist — or, in this case, antisemitic — influence. Back then, people were summoned to appear in front of the government without any charges being brought against them. They were asked about their political views and asked to incriminate their friends and associates. If they did not cooperate, they risked going to jail or losing their job.
McCarthyism was a big blow to democratic institutions in the US. Even the Supreme Court was not able to stop that madness. What we are seeing today, starting with a few students, can evolve into a new McCarthyism. Will this administration use it as an excuse to attack the left and restrain the political spectrum? What would that mean in practice? It means moving the country toward authoritarianism. McCarthyism kept snowballing until it melted down. However, it lasted about 10 years and destroyed thousands of lives and careers on the way. The same will happen again unless the American people stop it — they must realize that what happened to Khalil could happen to them one day.

• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.