News
Can the Trump administration legally deport Palestinian rights advocate Mahmoud Khalil? 3 things to know about green card holders’ rights
Gabriel J. Chin, University of California, Davis
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the government will deport lawful permanent residents who support Hamas and came to the U.S. as students with an intent “to rile up all kinds of anti-Jewish student, antisemitic activities,” referencing the Palestinian rights protests at universities in 2024.
“And if you end up having a green card – not citizenship, but a green card – as a result of that visa while you’re here and those activities, we’re going to kick you out. It’s as simple as that. This is not about free speech. This is about people that don’t have a right to be in the United States to begin with,” Rubio said on March 12, 2025.
That policy has now ensnared Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia University and a leader in the Palestinian rights protest movement at the school. Khalil, a Palestinian who was born in Syria, faces deportation after he was arrested on March 8, 2025, in New York City. The that the secretary of state had determined Khalil’s presence or activities in the country posed “serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
Mahmoud Khalil,
Khalil entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2022. In 2024, he received a green card and became a lawful permanent resident – meaning he has the legal right to work and stay in the U.S. There are an estimated 12.8 million lawful permanent residents in the country.
Khalil’s lawyers say that his arrest and pending deportation are unconstitutional.
In many respects, the rights of lawful permanent residents and citizens are similar. Yet citizens and lawful permanent residents do not enjoy equal status under the law.
The Supreme Court and other courts recognize that lawful permanent residents have First Amendment rights to free speech.
Yet the Supreme Court upheld deporting lawful permanent residents in the 1950s based on their political activity, in particular membership in the Communist Party.
So, while lawful permanent residents may not be criminally prosecuted for their political speech or activity, what they say or write may well affect their ability to remain in the U.S., if the government determines that they are a security risk.
I’m a scholar of immigration law. Here are three major differences between the rights of citizens and lawful permanent residents.
1. Limited political rights
Lawful permanent residents are people born in other countries who can legally work and live in the U.S. for as long as they like. They may enlist in the U.S. armed forces, apply to become U.S. citizens, and are legally protected against discrimination by private employers.
States also generally cannot discriminate against lawful permanent residents – though states may require certain groups of people, such as teachers or police, to have U.S. citizenship.
Between 1820 and 1920, noncitizens routinely participated in different aspects of government, including voting, holding office and jury service in many states and territories.
These days, states and the federal government generally allow only citizens to serve on juries, hold political positions and vote. With a few exceptions, such as voting in some local elections, permanent residents are not able to do any of these things.
2. Limited public benefits
The distinction between noncitizens and citizens extends to other areas of life, such as public benefits.
The Supreme Court has frequently stated, “In the exercise of its broad power over naturalization and immigration, Congress regularly makes rules that would be unacceptable if applied to citizens.”
In practice, this means that the federal government – and to a much lesser extent, states – do not offer public benefits, such as Medicaid and other kinds of government support, to lawful permanent residents and other noncitizens on the same basis as citizens.
For example, lawful permanent residents must generally wait five years before becoming eligible for certain programs intended to support low-income people, such as Supplemental Security Income and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
3. Reversal of immigration status
Finally, unlike citizens, lawful permanent residents can lose their legal immigration status.
Congress has enacted many grounds for deporting a noncitizen, or stopping them from entering the country.
Some courts have found that the U.S. government can deport a lawful permanent resident because of national security or terrorism concerns, even if the person has not committed a crime.
The Trump administration argues that they can deport lawful permanent residents like Khalil under the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, which states that a lawful permanent resident can be deported if the secretary of state has reasonable ground to believe that this person “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
The Trump administration had initiated deportation proceedings against Khalil on this ground.
U.S. law also provides that any non-citizen can be deported if the secretary of state and the attorney general jointly determine that the person is associated with terrorism, or poses a threat to the U.S. In addition, the law says an immigrant can be deported if they “endorse or espouse terrorist activity or persuades others” to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization.
Still, lawful permanent residents are entitled to certain basic rights, such as retaining a lawyer to represent them in administrative hearings and court before they are deported.
By contrast, the U.S. government cannot deport a U.S. citizen for any reason. However, sometimes U.S. citizens are deported by mistake.
Indeed, the Supreme Court has found that while it is constitutional to execute a military member for desertion in wartime, it would be cruel and unusual punishment to deprive them of citizenship.
Legal grounds for deporting noncitizens
There have been few recent court cases testing the scope of deporting lawful permanent residents on national security grounds based on pure speech.
In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that if a person is deportable, they are deportable – even if there is some other reason that motivated the government’s deportation proceedings, such as a suspicion that the non-citizen is involved with crime or terrorism.
The Supreme Court also then held that the government could deport non-citizens for technical visa violations, even if the case was based on the government’s belief that the non-citizens were associated with a terrorist group.
There is also some precedent arguing that deportation based on “adverse foreign policy consequences” is too broad and nonspecific to be constitutional.
Indeed, Marianne Trump Barry, the sister of the president, held this opinion when she was a federal judge in the mid-1990s. But Samuel Alito, then an appeals court judge, overturned Barry’s ruling on procedural grounds in 1996.
For its part, the Supreme Court has occasionally held that very broad and indeterminate deportation grounds are “void for vagueness,” meaning so sweeping and imprecise that they are unconstitutional.
Khalil’s lawyers appeared with U.S. government lawyers before a federal judge in New York on March 12. Their goal: to get Khalil moved from internment in Louisiana back to internment in New York. But that may well be just the beginning of a long haul for the Palestinian student. Courts have proved reluctant to second-guess security grounds rationales in immigration cases. For these reasons, cases like Khalil’s may go on for years.
Gabriel J. Chin, Professor of Criminal Law, Immigration, and Race and Law, University of California, Davis
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Economy
6 Wild Truths About America’s 2025 Spending Habits: Fetch Reveals Surprising Consumer Trends
The Fetch Finds Report reveals that in 2025, Americans balanced hard work with self-care, reflecting a mix of discipline and indulgence. Notable trends included a resurgence in meat sales, increased dining out, a focus on organization, and a rise in comfort-related purchases.
The Fetch Finds Report reveals a year of hustle, comfort, and delightfully chaotic shopping carts
Americans in 2025 were a study in contradictions. We hit the gym but also hit the couch. We decluttered our homes while filling our carts. We powered through demanding days with energy gels and powered down with weighted blankets and candles.
That’s the picture painted by Fetch’s first-ever full-year Fetch Finds Report, which analyzed more than $179 billion in consumer transactions. With 12 million receipts submitted daily, the data tells a story that’s equal parts discipline and indulgence—a snapshot of a nation trying to balance the hustle with some much-needed comfort.
6 Wild Truths About America’s 2025 Spending Habits: Fetch Reveals Surprising Consumer Trends
The Six Spending Surprises of 2025
1. The Meatless Revolution Has Expired
Remember when plant-based everything was the future? In 2025, Americans said “thanks, but no thanks” and brought meat back to the table. Fresh beef sales jumped 13%, pork climbed 12%, while refrigerated plant-based alternatives dropped 11%. Despite rising grocery costs, consumers chose the real deal over the meatless alternatives.
2. America’s Eating Out—and Sushi’s on a Roll
Even with tighter budgets, dining out surged. And the big winner? Sushi, with a massive 45.6% increase in trip growth. Mexican restaurants saw a respectable 13.9% bump, and pizza grew 6.7%. But sushi absolutely dominated the dining-out conversation this year.
3. Endurance Nutrition Takes a Victory Lap
Energy chews and gels jumped 27.4% in 2025. Whether Americans were actually running marathons or just trying to survive Monday morning meetings, endurance nutrition became a go-to for powering through demanding days.
4. The Great American Declutter Hit Overdrive
Self-care became shelf-care. Household storage bags surged 55.8%, charging valets climbed 37%, and cleaning gloves rose 13.4%. Getting organized wasn’t just about tidiness—it became an act of wellness. A clean space, a clear mind.
5. Protein Moved into the Pantry
Protein isn’t just for gym bros anymore. Everyday staples got a protein makeover:
- Protein-labeled breakfast cereals: +69.8%
- Protein granola: +45.9%
- Protein dry pasta: +35.4%
Consumers wanted their regular foods to work harder, turning breakfast and dinner into opportunities to fuel up.
6. America Powered Down and Got Comfortable
Comfort became the ultimate status symbol. Loungewear sales soared 218%, weighted blankets climbed 45%, and candles rose 20%. After all that hustle, Americans made winding down a priority—and they weren’t shy about investing in it.
What This Tells Us
The Fetch Finds Report captures something real about 2025: Americans were navigating a shifting economy with a mix of practicality and self-care. We pushed hard during the day and gave ourselves permission to relax at night. We organized our homes, fueled our bodies with protein, and treated ourselves to sushi dinners and cozy nights in.
“Fetch sees what others can’t: how people actually spend based on billions of purchases,” said Jacob Grocholski, Vice President of Analytics at Fetch. “This year, we saw a chaotic mix of discipline and indulgence that defined how people navigated 2025.”
About the Data
The findings come from Fetch, America’s Rewards App, which captures billions of spending transactions annually using AI and machine learning. With more than 6 million five-star reviews and users submitting 12 million receipts daily, Fetch has unmatched visibility into what consumers actually buy—at the item level, across every channel and retailer.
Want the full breakdown? Read the complete Fetch Finds Report for all the details on America’s 2025 spending habits.
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News
CES 2026: The Exhibitors and Moments That Stood Out for Entertainment + Tech Fans
CES 2026 delivered big entertainment-tech moments—from Sony Honda’s AFEELA to streaming, smart glasses, AI PCs, and robots that stole the show.
CES 2026 (Jan. 6–9 in Las Vegas) didn’t feel like a “future tech” show as much as a “right now” show. The big shift: AI wasn’t treated like a standalone product category anymore. It was the invisible layer powering everything from streaming discovery to robots that can actually do work.
For STM Daily News readers who live in the overlap of Entertainment and Tech, here are the exhibitors and trends that stood out most—plus why they matter beyond the show floor.
1) Sony Honda Mobility (AFEELA): The car as a rolling entertainment platform
Sony Honda Mobility’s AFEELA presence reinforced a direction CES keeps leaning into: the next generation of vehicles is competing as much on software and in-cabin experience as it is on horsepower.
What made it stand out:
- AFEELA represents the “car as a connected device” idea taken seriously—where the cabin becomes a screen-first, service-driven environment.
- It’s a clean example of how mobility and entertainment are merging: navigation, safety, personalization, and media all living in one interface.
2) Netflix + Amazon Prime Video + Roku + Xumo: Streaming is evolving into ecosystems
CES 2026’s Content & Entertainment story wasn’t about “who has the most subscribers.” It was about streaming as an ecosystem: bundling, ad-supported growth, and smarter discovery.
What made it stand out:
- CES highlighted how streaming platforms are pushing beyond simple libraries into bundles, premium originals, and integrated experiences.
- FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) continues to gain traction, and device/platform players are positioning themselves as the front door.
3) Dolby: The quiet power behind the best-looking, best-sounding experiences
Dolby isn’t always the flashiest booth, but it consistently shows up as the tech that makes everything else feel “premium.”
What made it stand out:
- In a year where screens, XR, and immersive venues are everywhere, audio and imaging standards are the difference between “cool demo” and “wow.”
- Dolby’s relevance keeps growing as entertainment moves across phones, living rooms, cars, and wearables.
4) Meta + XREAL: Smart glasses keep inching toward mainstream
Wearables at CES 2026 weren’t just about steps and sleep. The momentum was in smart glasses and AR—especially as generative AI voice interfaces make hands-free use feel more natural.
What made it stand out:
- CES noted smart/AR glasses evolving with features like real-time translation, recording, and AI voice interfaces.
- For entertainment fans, this is where “watching” and “doing” start to blend—live overlays, creator tools, and new ways to capture experiences.
5) Samsung + LG + TCL: Screens are still the show’s main stage
Even in an AI-everywhere year, CES still belongs to display tech. Big brands kept proving that TVs aren’t just TVs—they’re hubs for gaming, streaming, smart home control, and ambient experiences.
What made it stand out:
- Display leaders continue to set the tone for how entertainment is consumed at home.
- The conversation is shifting from specs to experience: personalization, AI-powered recommendations, and multi-device continuity.
6) NVIDIA + AMD + Lenovo: The “AI PC” era is no longer theoretical
CES 2026 made it clear that the next wave of consumer computing is built around on-device AI. That matters for creators, editors, and anyone who lives in content.
What made it stand out:
- CES highlighted AI’s move from “digital transformation” to “intelligent transformation,” including edge/enterprise and physical AI in robotics.
- AMD’s CES keynote emphasized AI across devices from PCs to data centers, underscoring how quickly this is becoming standard.
7) Unitree + Richtech Robotics + Hyundai: Robots were the surprise crowd-pleaser
If CES 2026 had a “you had to see it” category, it was robotics. Not just novelty bots—machines built for real environments.
What made it stand out:
- CES framed robotics as “physical AI,” where generative AI and simulation training help robots learn faster than traditional programming.
- Humanoid robots, in particular, are moving from single-task demos toward more collaborative assistant roles.
The big takeaway for STM Daily News readers
CES 2026 wasn’t about one killer gadget. It was about convergence:
- Entertainment is becoming more interactive, more personalized, and more portable.
- Cars are becoming screens.
- Wearables are becoming interfaces.
- Robots are becoming the next “device category” people actually want to watch.
And underneath it all: AI is becoming less of a headline and more of the operating system for modern life.
Here’s a list of what stood out to us at CES 2026:
- Sony Honda Mobility (AFEELA): The car as a rolling entertainment platform
- Netflix + Amazon Prime Video + Roku + Xumo: Streaming is evolving into ecosystems
- Dolby: The quiet power behind the best-looking, best-sounding experiences
- Meta + XREAL: Smart glasses keep inching toward mainstream
- Samsung + LG + TCL: Screens are still the show’s main stage
- NVIDIA + AMD + Lenovo: The “AI PC” era is no longer theoretical
- Unitree + Richtech Robotics + Hyundai: Robots were the surprise crowd-pleaser
Sources
- CES press release recap and exhibitor/topic highlights (Jan. 9, 2026): https://www.ces.tech/press-releases/ces-2026-the-future-is-here
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actors & performers
T.K. Carter, The Thing and Punky Brewster Actor, Dies at 69
Actor T.K. Carter, known for The Thing and Punky Brewster, has died at age 69. A look at his career and lasting legacy in film and television.
T.K. Carter in Punky Brewster (1984) Image: IMDB
Veteran actor T.K. Carter, best known for his roles in The Thing and the popular 1980s television series Punky Brewster, has died at the age of 69.
Authorities confirmed Carter was found unresponsive at his home in Duarte, California. No foul play is suspected, and an official cause of death has not yet been released.
A Career Spanning Decades
Born Thomas Kent Carter, T.K. Carter built a career in film and television that spanned more than four decades. He became a cult favorite portraying Nauls in John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic The Thing, a film that continues to influence the genre today.
Television audiences widely remember Carter for his role as Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster, where his comedic timing and grounded performances helped make the show a lasting favorite of the era.
Film and Television Legacy
In addition to his best-known roles, Carter appeared in films such as Runaway Train, Ski Patrol, and Space Jam. His television work included guest appearances on a wide range of series throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond.
Known within the industry as a reliable and versatile performer, Carter often brought authenticity and warmth to supporting roles that left a lasting impression, even in brief appearances.
Remembering T.K. Carter
As news of his passing spreads, fans and colleagues alike are reflecting on T.K. Carter’s contributions to film and television. While he may not have always been the leading name on the marquee, his work helped shape stories that continue to be watched and appreciated by new generations.
T.K. Carter is remembered for his enduring performances, professional dedication, and the quiet but meaningful legacy he leaves behind.
Related Coverage
- Los Angeles Times: Actor T.K. Carter Dies at 69
- People Magazine: T.K. Carter, ‘The Thing’ and ‘Punky Brewster’ Actor, Dead at 69
- Entertainment Weekly: T.K. Carter, ‘Punky Brewster’ and ‘The Thing’ Actor, Dies
- ABC News: Veteran Actor T.K. Carter Dies at 69
Stay with STM Daily News for updates to this developing story and more independent coverage of entertainment, history, and culture. Visit www.stmdailynews.com for the latest.
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