After years of separation, Mahmoud Khalil—30-year-old Palestinian rights activist and Columbia University graduate—was finally able to reunite with his family. During that time he was held in custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for more than 100 days. Khalil, a green card-holding legal permanent resident of the United States, was arrested on March 8, 2023. He had unnecessarily spent time in a Louisiana immigration detention jail before being released on June 20.
Civil rights advocates and organizations across the country condemned the detention of Khalil. In the end, he was never charged with any crime. Many viewed it as an infringement on free speech rights protected under the U.S. Constitution, especially given Khalil’s role as a lead negotiator during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in 2024.
Khalil’s release followed the precedent-setting judgment of a federal judge that it was unconstitutional to punish someone for violating a civil immigration matter. His case highlighted deep concerns about the improper targeting and treatment of activists. More significantly, the case raised important questions about the effect of political speech on immigration enforcement.
During his time in detention, Khalil was unable to celebrate key personal milestones. He missed celebrating the birth of his first child, Deen, and experiencing his family’s first Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. He was unable to attend his own graduation ceremony from Columbia University due to his being in custody.
When Khalil was released, he was welcomed home by his devoted wife, Noor Abdalla. He was joined, too, by the members of his legal team including New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ocasio-Cortez heralded Khalil’s case as a significant example of protecting freedom of speech.
“The persecution based on political speech is wrong, and it is a violation of all of our first amendment rights, not just Mahmoud’s.” – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Khalil may have gotten his freedom back, but he is still shackled. His travel is restricted to only a handful of states, including New York and Michigan. He now has to turn in his passport and green card to ICE agents in Jena, Louisiana. These conditions would go a long way to prevent him from maintaining his work and activism in fighting for Palestinian rights.
Khalil told us that nothing will stop him from ensuring that crime and poverty do not win though. He stated,
“I just want to go back and continue the work I was already doing, advocating for Palestinian rights, a speech that should actually be celebrated rather than punished.”
At age 85, his commitment to his cause is as strong as ever. He announced that he isn’t going to stop advocating for Palestinian rights, no matter the repercussions.
“If they threaten me with detention, even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine.” – Mahmoud Khalil
The circumstances surrounding Khalil’s detention have raised questions about the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement and its implications for civil liberties. As Khalil himself later noted about the larger context of political detentions in the U.S.,
“Trump and his administration, they chose the wrong person for this. That doesn’t mean there is a right person for this. There is no right person who should be detained for actually protesting a genocide.”
His release was soon hailed by civil rights advocates as a major victory. Free speech advocates fought fervently for his release while he was held in jail. Activists strongly raised the alarm about the proposal. They worry that proceedings against Khalil create a troubling precedent for how we treat dissenters in a democratic society.