Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University activist, was arrested by federal immigration agents in New York for advocating for the Palestinian cause. He was briefly detained in New Jersey before being transferred to a facility in Louisiana, where he remains. Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent married to a U.S. citizen, filed a legal challenge to his detention in Manhattan federal court, which has now been allowed to proceed in New Jersey. In a letter dictated to his family, Khalil described himself as a “political prisoner” and criticized the conditions of the detention facility along with Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
He recounted his arrest at his Columbia University-owned residence, where Homeland Security agents refused to provide a warrant and accosted him and his pregnant wife. Despite allegations from the Trump administration that Khalil was affiliated with terrorist activities, his lawyer rebutted that claim. Khalil also emphasized his Palestinian background and the need to continue advocating for the Palestinian people’s rights.
He highlighted the anti-Palestinian racism of both the Biden and Trump administrations, warning of a broader strategy to suppress dissent. Khalil urged students, advocates, and elected officials to unite in defending the right to protest for Palestine. His legal team has filed for his release to return home to his wife, as Khalil hopes to be present for the birth of his first child.
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