Mahmoud Khalil will remain in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana after procedural hearing in New York.
The Columbia University graduate was arrested at his New York home on Saturday, and his green card was revoked, over his role in the campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war in 2024.
Federal judge Jesse Furman ruled today to block any deportation efforts until Khalil’s attorneys and the federal government appear in court.
What to Know:
- In court on Wednesday, Furman ordered Khalil be allowed at least one private call today and tomorrow with his lawyers who said they have not been able to speak to him since his arrest.
- Khalil’s attorneys had petitioned for his release today, arguing that his actions were protected under the First Amendment and that he is being targeted for his speech.
- A protest erupted outside the New York courthouse Wednesday after he was remanded in the ICE facility.
- The government is seeking to revoke Kahlil’s student visa and green card due to his participation in anti-Israel protests and they have accused him of making statements in support of Hamas. He has not been publicly accused of providing any material support to the group.
- The White House has warned that more deportations of individuals with alleged ties to terrorism could follow.
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Mahmoud Khalil fundraiser hits new mlestone
In a show of solidarity, over 5,000 supporters have rallied behind Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian rights advocate and recent Columbia University graduate, by contributing to a fundraiser on Chuffed.org.
The campaign, launched in response to Khalil’s controversial detention by Homeland Security, has amassed $275,568 at the time of publication, surpassing its initial goal of $250,000. The fundraiser has now increased its goal to $500,000.
Mahmoud Khalil‘s arrest has ignited a firestorm of debate and concern amongst advocates and critics. Khalil, a Palestinian rights student advocate, was detained on Saturday under circumstances that have raised questions about civil liberties and legal procedures. His case serves as a focal point in the broader dialogue on how activists are treated by government agencies in the U.S.
According to the fundraising page, Khalil and his wife were approached by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents outside their New York residence on March 8, following a Ramadan dinner.
Columbia journalism students told: Don’t publish stories on Gaza or Ukraine if you’re not a citizen
Administrators at Columbia University has warned students and faculty at its journalism school not to publish stories on Gaza or Ukraine if they’re not U.S. citizens after Mahmoud Khalil was detained over his involvement in protests against the war in Gaza, the New York Times reports.
“Nobody can protect you,” said the journalism school’s dean, Jelani Cobb. “These are dangerous times.”
Adjunct professor and attorney Stuart Karle urged non-U.S. citizens at the journalism school not to cover Gaza, Ukraine and or even protests related to their former classmate’s arrest for fear they could also be detained and deported.
“If you have a social media page, make sure it is not filled with commentary on the Middle East,” he added.
Who is Mahmoud Khalil?
Khalil finished his graduate studies at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in December 2024. Prior to attending Columbia, he received a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the Lebanese American University, according to the Society for International Development (SID).
A profile of him on SID states that he has worked for the Syria Office in the British Embassy in Beirut and Jusoor, a Syrian American educational nonprofit.
Last year, while he was a student at Columbia, he served as a negotiator for pro-Palestinian protestors and the university administration over tent encampments. He was a member of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group.
Prior to his arrest, the Palestinian activist told AP last week, “I have around 13 allegations against me, most of them are social media posts that I had nothing to do with.”
The allegations are from the university’s newly created Office of Institutional Equity, which has sent dozens of notices to students who have participated in a range of activities in support of Palestinians, according to the AP. Khalil has been accused of organizing an event that glorified Hamas’ October 7 attack. The U.S. recognizes Hamas as a terror organization.
CPAC host suggests deporting Rashida Tlaib alongside Palestinian activist
CPAC Senior Fellow Mercedes Schlapp speaks with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at the annual CPAC DC conference at the Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, MD on Friday, 21, 2025.
Dominic Gwinn/Getty Images
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) host Mercedes Schlapp proposed that Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) be deported alongside Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, despite Tlaib being an American-born citizen. The suggestion came after the Trump administration’s arrest of Khalil, a legal permanent resident, over his anti-Israel activism.
Khalil was arrested by ICE, with the administration claiming authority to deport him, citing his activism supporting Hamas, despite him not being charged with a crime. This has sparked protests, with several members of Congress demanding his release. Tlaib, a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza and one of the signatories of a letter calling for Khalil’s release, was also criticized by Schlapp for her stance on political issues, leading to her controversial comment about deporting the congresswoman.
New York lawmaker confronts Trump’s border czar over Khalil deportation
New York Rep. Zohran Kwame Mamdani confronted Trump’s border czar Tom Homan on Wednesday over the administration’s detention and deportation of Mahmoud Khalil.
In footage, shared on X, Mamdani was see yelling questions at Homan, asking “How many more new Yorkers will you detain?
“Do you believe in the first amendment?”
Mamdani, who is running for mayor of New York, said in a later clip that Homan only answered with a smirk.
“There is not answer for taking a man from his pregnant wife,” Mamdani said in the second clip. “The cowardice that is on display across our city and our state is unacceptable. New Yorkers are looking to us, they are looking to their leaders. for courage and convictions. What they are funding instead is collaboration.”
Today I confronted “border czar” Tom Homan who came to Albany to do Trump’s bidding — push for mass deportations, carry out the assault on working class New Yorkers, and justify the unjustifiable detention of legal permanent resident and father-to-be, Mahmoud Khalil. pic.twitter.com/hPRQrB6Ci6
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) March 12, 2025
ICE arrests over 32,000 migrants since Trump’s inauguration
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested more than 32,000 migrants living in the country without legal status since January 21, the day after Trump took office, according to Department of Homeland Security officials.
The arrests include individuals taken into custody through ICE operations, the Criminal Alien Program, and the 287(g) partnership program, a senior ICE official said.
In the first 50 days of the Trump administration, ICE reported arresting over 14,000 convicted criminals, 9,800 migrants with pending criminal charges, 1,155 suspected gang members, and 44 foreign fugitives.
An additional 8,718 arrests were categorized as “immigration violators.”
Immigrant rights group demands Khalil’s release, blasts Trump admin for trying to ‘squash political dissent’
Freedom for Immigrants executive director Laura Hernández has called for the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, as she blasted the Trump administration for using “ICE’s infrastructure to squash political dissent.”
“We join millions across the country in demanding the swift release of Mahmoud Khalil back to the safety of his home in New York with his eight-month pregnant wife. The abduction of Mahmoud is textbook authoritarian conduct by the MAGA regime. This blatant assault on Mahmoud’s most basic civil liberties is an affront to the fundamental rights of free speech, political dissent, and due process everywhere,” Hernández said in a statement after today’s hearing.
“The Trump regime will stop at nothing to rip people from their families, instill fear, and further its racist agenda. But we must also acknowledge that Trump inherited the detention machinery he’s now weaponizing to enforce his agenda. For decades, leaders on both sides of the aisle have worked in bipartisan fashion to expand the U.S. immigration detention system, which is the largest in the world.
“The weaponization of ICE’s infrastructure to squash political dissent is the logical conclusion to decades of detention privatization and unchecked expansion. Let this moment be a wake up call. We must not allow the MAGA regime to normalize these fascist tactics,” she added.
Khalil’s eight months pregnant wife speaks out about his detention
Mahmoud Khalil’s wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant with their first child, urges the “world to continue to speak up against his unjust and horrific detention by the Trump administration.”
Khalil’s wife, who is remaining anonymous for fear of harassment, added in her statement that U.S. immigration had “ripped my soul from me when they handcuffed my husband and forced him into an unmarked vehicle.”
“Instead of putting together our nursery and washing baby clothes in anticipation of our first child, I am left sitting in our apartment, wondering when Mahmoud will get a chance to call me from a detention center,” she added.
Judge orders Khalil to remain in custody: Where is he being held?
During his deportation hearing Wednesday, a judge ordered Mahmoud Khalil to remain detained at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, despite his lawyer’s push to have him returned to New York where he lives with his pregnant wife.
The Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, in Jena, around 170 miles northwest of New Orleans, can hold around 1,160 detainees and his surrounded by y barbed wire fences.
Activists have claimed that the detention center is intended to break the morale and spirits of its detainees.
Khalil was taken to the center from New York without informing his wife or lawyers after he was detained on Saturday.
Khalil’s lawyers say they have not had private, privileged call with him yet
Mahmoud Khalil’s lawyers said in court today that they are yet to have a private call with him.
Defendants retain the right to attorney-client privilege, meaning confidential communications between themselves and their attorney for the purpose of seeking legal advice, while in jail or prison.
Today, Judge Furman ordered the government to allow for Khalil and his attorneys to speak on a privileged call today and another one tomorrow.
Rubio claims Khalil was ‘complicit in what are clearly crimes’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed on Wednesday that Mahmoud Khalil was complicit in “what are clearly crimes” as the Columbia University graduate and green card holder faces deportation for campus protests.
The Trump administration has faced fierce backlash over its decision to detain and attempt to deport Khalil.
Typically, green card holders have almost as many protections against deportation as citizens, although certain crimes such as marriage fraud can result in deportation.
However, Khalil has not been accused of, or charged with any crime. The Trump administration took him into custody as a result of Trump’s executive order on antisemitism.
However, now Rubio has suggested that Khalil is complicit in crimes.
“I think being supporter of Hamas, and coming into our universities and turning them upside down, and being complicit in what are clearly crimes of vandalization, complicit in shutting down learning institutions… If you told us that’s what you intended to do when you came to America, we would have never let you in,” Rubio alleged of Khalil.
“And if you do it once you get in, we’re going to revoke [your visa] and kick you out.”
.@SecRubio on arrest of Mahmoud Khalil: “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. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card.” pic.twitter.com/eej8vyBLKm
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 12, 2025
Marco Rubio claims detention of graduate over protests is ‘not about free speech’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted today that the detention and possible deportation of Mahmoud Khalil over his campus protests is “not about free speech.”
Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. had the right to deny as visa to someone entering the country “for virtually any reason.”
He added that if immigration officials had known Khalil was going to take part in and organize protests against the war in Gaza, that they would never have approved his visa.
“If you tell us when you apply, ‘Hi I’m trying to get into the United States on a student visa, I’m a big supporter of Hamas, a murderous barbaric group,” Rubio said.
“If you tell us that you are in favor of a group like this, and if you tell us when you apply for the visa, ‘And by the way, I intend to come to your country as a student and rile up all kind of anti-Jewish student, antisemitic activities, I intend to shut down your universities,’ if you told us all these things when you applied for your visa, we would deny your visa, I hope we would.”
Rubio doubled down and said that anyone taking part in similar student protests would also be deported.
“If you actually end up doing that once you’re in this country on such a visa, we will revoke it,” he said. “If you end up having a green card… as a result of that visa while you’re here on those activities, we’re going to kick you out.
This is not about free speech this is about people who don’t have a right to be in the United States to begin with.”
Khalil’s detention ‘has nothing to do with security, it’s only about repression’: Attorney
The legal director for the Center of Constitutional Rights, Baher Azmy, said today that Mahmoud Khalil’s detention and potential deportation, “has nothing to do with security, it’s only about repression.”
Speaking outside the courthouse after Khalil’s hearing, Azmy, who is one of Kahlil’s legal team, compared the actions of the Trump administration to those taken during the Red Scare and McCarthyism.
“The U.S. government has taken a position that is can arrest, detain and seek to deport a lawful permanent resident exclusively because of his peaceful, constitutionally protected activism. In this case, activism in support of Palestinian human rights and the end of the genocide in Gaza,” he said. “The government takes the position that because the Secretary of State finds his dissent, unacceptable, contrary to U.S. foreign policy, he can be deported.
“It’s largely unprecedented, save for ugly historical precedents including the Red Scare and McCarthyism. That’s what we’re talking about.”
Azmy added that activists would be fighting to stop the administration’s “repression” from spreading.
“We cannot hide in the face of this amount of repression,” he added. “We’ll be fighting in the courts and fighting in the streets to bring Mahmoud home and prevent this level of repression spreading to many others that the administration has threatened to do.”
Mahmoud Khalil’s lawyers say they haven’t spoken to him since transfer to Louisiana
Mahmoud Khalil’s legal team told a Manhattan federal judge they have not been able to contact the former Columbia University graduate since his transfer to a Louisiana detention facility on Sunday.
Kassem also noted that Khalil’s detention limits access not only for his lawyers but also for his wife, who is eight months pregnant.
Khalil’s attorneys, who filed a petition for his release on Sunday, said they would update the lawsuit by Thursday but described difficulties due to his distance. “It’s hard for us to continue the work the way we would normally,” Kassem said.
Judge Furman ruled that attorneys should be allowed at least one call with Khalil on Wednesday and another on Thursday before filing their updated lawsuit.
Walking out of the hearing on the Mahmoud Khalil case, his attorneys say they have not had an attorney client privileged call. The judge has ordered that the government allow for Khalil and his attorneys to speak on a privileged call today and another one tomorrow…
— Lilia Luciano (@lilialuciano) March 12, 2025
Donald Trump way off target despite tripling ICE arrests
President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 7, 2025.
AP
President Donald Trump oversaw a surge in ICE arrests during his first 50 days in office—tripling previous figures under the Biden administration—newly released figures show, but is far behind his stated mass deportation goal.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 32,809 migrants between January 20 and March 10, officials said at a news conference on Wednesday. That equates to about 656 arrests per day.
By comparison, ICE arrested and detained about 255 people each day last year.
Despite the sharp increase, the numbers still fall far short of his election promise to carry out “the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America,” when he referenced 1954’s “Operation Wetback” which rounded up an estimated 1 million people.
American Jewish groups deeply divided on Khalil deportation
American Jewish groups are deeply divided over the Trump administration’s decision to detain and try to deport a graduate for protesting the war in Gaza.
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of Jewish Council for Public Affairs, condemned the move, accusing the administration of “exploiting real concerns about antisemitism to undercut democracy.”
Spitalnick said that much of Trump’s agenda, “from gutting education funding to deporting students to attacking diversity, equity, & inclusion” was actually making Jewish people “less safe.”
Meanwhile the Anti-Defamation League welcomed the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, and said in a statement they hope other students will be deterred from protesting against Israel on campuses.
“We appreciate the Trump Administration’s broad, bold set of efforts to counter campus antisemitism,” the ADL said. “We also hope that this action serves as a deterrent to others who might consider breaking the law on college campuses or anywhere.”
Sen. Murphy accuses Trump administration of using dictator playbook of ‘disappearing’ people
Sen. Chris Murphy accuses the Trump administration of using the “dictatorship” practice of “disappearing” people who speak out against its policies or allies after Mahmoud Khalil is detained and faces deportation for protests.
In a video, shared on social media, the Democratic senator said it was fine if people disagreed with the Columbia graduate’s “views or his politics” but said “there is no evidence he has broken any law.”
“But last weekend Trump officials entered his apartment and took him into custody. They brought him to a detention facility, in New Jersey at first, but when his family went to visit him, he wasn’t there. For a while his family and his lawyer had no idea where he was,” he said, adding that they finally tracked him down to a detention facility in Louisiana.
“In dictatorships they call this practice being disappeared. No charges, no claims of criminal behavior.
“He’s in jail because of his political speech.”
Murphy added that in America, political speech is protected, but said that appears to be changing under the new administration.
“If you’re disloyal to Trump or you’re organizing against Trump’s political agenda your speech could be criminals and you could find yourself in jail.”
He added that “Trump chose to begin by disappearing a Palestinian immigrant,” but warned that “once it becomes the norm for the regime to disappear people simply for protest against the regime’s policies. Once a citizen or a resident of America can be locked away simply because they protested, there is no going back for America.”
A dozen arrested in clash with NYPD during Mahmoud Khalil protest
Protestors gather at Gracie Manion to protest NYC Mayor Eric Adams holding Iftar the fast breaking meal of Muslims during ramadan and to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil on March 11, 2025 in New…
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
Around a dozen individuals were arrested Tuesday afternoon after clashing with NYPD officers during a demonstration in support of former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil.
Protesters had blocked a downtown Manhattan street, despite police issuing multiple warnings to clear the roadway. Tensions escalated when officers moved in to make arrests.
One protester, wearing a keffiyeh, was tackled to the ground by two officers during his arrest.
Rep. Mike Lawler calls for Mahmoud Khalil’s deportation
U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) attends an event titled “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America” attended by prominent Jewish donors at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on September 19, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Rep. Mike Lawler has expressed support for the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, citing the activist’s alleged support for Hamas.
“Mahmoud Khalil should be deported,” he told Newsweek. “He provided material support to Hamas by spreading their propaganda, including alleged calls for armed resistance and sharing pro-Hamas materials.”
While Khalil has been accused of making statements in support of Hamas, he has not been publicly accused of providing any material support to the group. His lawyers argue that his arrest is retaliation for his protected speech under the First Amendment.
Protesters flood NYC streets calling for Khalil’s release
A call for mass protests was issued by the group Refuse Fascism on social media, urging people to gather at Foley Square in New York City at 11 a.m. today to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist arrested by immigration agents over the weekend.
Protesters attempt to block press outside Khalil court hearing
Protesters advocating for Palestine gathered outside a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, attempting to block the press from covering the hearing of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist.
Khalil’s wife recounts arrest, urges support for his release
Mahmoud Khalil’s wife described the terrifying moments leading up to his arrest by ICE officers as the couple returned home from an Iftar dinner on Saturday. In a statement issued through Khalil’s legal team, she recounted how an officer followed them into their building, identified her husband, and demanded that he accompany them without showing a warrant.
Despite Mahmoud being fully cooperative, the situation escalated when the officers threatened to arrest her as well if she didn’t leave. She watched in horror as the officers handcuffed her husband and forced him into an unmarked car, leaving her traumatized. “It felt like a scene from a movie I never signed up to watch,” she said.
Khalil’s wife, who is expecting their child in April, urged supporters to continue pushing for his release. His arrest has sparked protests worldwide, making him a prominent figure in the fight against ICE raids and detention practices.
Mahmoud Khalil’s Manhattan federal court hearing to focus on free speech
Khalil will appear in Manhattan federal court today for a hearing centered around free speech. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman will review the legality of Khalil’s arrest and his detainment in Louisiana by immigration enforcement agents.
Khalil, a legal permanent resident, was arrested on Saturday and has not been charged with any crimes. His attorneys are expected to argue that his detention is unconstitutional, claiming he has been targeted for his outspoken support of Palestinian rights. “What’s being done to him is unlawful,” said Khalil’s attorney, Ramzi Kassem.
Trump has referred to Khalil as a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student” and suggested that more arrests may follow. The controversy has sparked protests in New York and calls for Khalil’s release from several Democratic lawmakers.
In addition to the legal fight, 14 House Democrats have written to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, urging her to release Khalil, who is awaiting the birth of his first child.
Hundreds protest arrest of Palestinian activist in New York
Protestors gather at Gracie Manion to protest NYC Mayor Eric Adams holding Iftar the fast breaking meal of Muslims during ramadan and to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil on March 11, 2025 in…
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in Lower Manhattan Tuesday, protesting the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian activist and student leader at Columbia University. Khalil, a Palestinian refugee and legal permanent resident of the U.S., was arrested on Saturday and transferred to a detention center in Louisiana. His arrest has sparked controversy, with some questioning its legality.
The White House defended the arrest, stating that the government had the authority to revoke Khalil’s green card due to his involvement in protests and distribution of pro-Hamas materials. A federal judge has temporarily halted the deportation as his case proceeds.
While some New York officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, refrained from commenting, others, like Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, expressed concern over the implications for free speech and the rule of law. Khalil’s arrest has fueled debates about civil rights and the potential chilling effect on activism.
Lawyers fight to prevent deportation of Palestinian activist
Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist arrested by ICE at Columbia University, are set for a court hearing on Wednesday to challenge his potential deportation. Khalil, a green card and student visa holder, was detained by federal authorities on Saturday at his campus apartment and sent to a detention center in Jena, Louisiana. His lawyer, Amy Greer, confirmed that the State Department is seeking to revoke his visa and green card.
Khalil, who was the lead student negotiator during the 2024 protests at Columbia against the Gaza war, has been accused of making statements in support of Hamas but has not been publicly accused of providing material support. His lawyers argue that he is being targeted for exercising protected speech.
A federal judge temporarily halted his deportation on Monday, and the legal battle continues with the ACLU and NYCLU joining Khalil’s defense team. The case has drawn attention following the Trump administration’s stance on deporting individuals who are alleged Hamas sympathizers.
Exclusive: Mahmoud Khalil’s wife speaks out on ICE detention: ‘Need your help’
The 8-month pregnant wife of pro-Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil has pled for her husband’s release in time for the birth of their baby, following his arrest and detention by federal immigration officers over the weekend.
“I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby. I need your help to bring Mahmoud home, so he is here beside me, holding my hand in the delivery room as we welcome our first child into this world,” she told Newsweek in a statement issued via her husband’s attorney, Amy E. Greer.
“Please release Mahmoud now,” said his wife, who was not named by the lawyers when asked by Newsweek nor in legal papers filed Sunday challenging Khalil’s detention.
