Chilling Dissent
He Sued Trump Over Free Speech. Then ICE Demanded He Turn Himself In.
Cornell student Momodou Taal’s lawyers said the demand was “retribution” for his lawsuit against the crackdown on pro-Palestine speech.
Jonah Valdez
Jonah Valdez is a reporter for The Intercept covering politics, U.S. foreign policy, Israel and Palestine, human rights issues, and protest movements for social justice.
He previously was a staff writer with the Los Angeles Times where he joined the paper as an inaugural member of the L.A. Times Fellowship. For the Times, Valdez covered stories about environmental justice, gentrification, transportation, labor, pop culture, and the Hollywood industry. Valdez got his start covering local news for the Southern California News Group. His work can also be found in The Guardian, Voice of San Diego, and the San Diego-Union Tribune. He was raised in San Diego and now resides in Los Angeles, where he also writes poetry and is working on his first collection.
He previously was a staff writer with the Los Angeles Times where he joined the paper as an inaugural member of the L.A. Times Fellowship. For the Times, Valdez covered stories about environmental justice, gentrification, transportation, labor, pop culture, and the Hollywood industry. Valdez got his start covering local news for the Southern California News Group. His work can also be found in The Guardian, Voice of San Diego, and the San Diego-Union Tribune. He was raised in San Diego and now resides in Los Angeles, where he also writes poetry and is working on his first collection.
Contacts:
- jonah.valdez@theintercept.com
- @jonahmv.05 on Signal
- @jonahmv on X
Posts:
Israel’s War on Gaza
Victims of UCLA Mob Attack Sue to “Hold the Aggressors Accountable”
Pro-Palestine protesters at UCLA who were attacked by a mob allege that the school did little to stop nearly five hours of violence.
Israel’s War on Gaza
Israel Violated the Gaza Ceasefire From the Start. Why Won’t the Media Tell You That?
Long before this week’s deadly strikes, Israel failed to abide by the terms of its ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The Legal Argument That Could Set Mahmoud Khalil Free
Lawyers trying to free the Columbia University activist point to a legal exception undermining the Trump administration’s argument.
Chilling Dissent
ICE Secretly Hauled Mahmoud Khalil to Louisiana as Retaliation, Lawyers Allege
By moving the campus activist to a new jurisdiction, ICE disrupted court proceedings and limited his legal access, his attorneys say.
Israel’s War on Gaza
Court Temporarily Halts Columbia Activist’s Deportation
A judge said Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate whose arrest by ICE sparked outrage, couldn’t be deported without a court order.
Israel’s War on Gaza
Trump’s “Genocidal” Threat to Gaza: If Hamas Won’t Release Hostages, “You Are DEAD”
“He’s threatening an entire population with death — what else is that other than genocidal?” one expert told The Intercept.
Israel’s War on Gaza
Support the Occupying Force: The Logic Behind Trump’s Foreign Policy
By sending weapons to Israel while halting arms sales to Ukraine, Trump backs nations that are “occupying a less powerful people.”
How to Turn an “Economic Blackout” Into an All-Out War on Corporate Power
Friday’s economic boycott is a one-day attack on corporate interests. The degrowth movement calls for a broader societal shift.
Israel’s War on Gaza
The Far-Right Group Building a List of Pro-Palestine Activists to Deport
Betar U.S. said it has shared with the Trump administration a list of the “names of hundreds of terror supporters.”