Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil calls himself a 'political prisoner' after U.S. immigration arrest

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 7:26 AM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University Palestinian postgraduate pupil who the Trump medication is seeking to deport for his relation successful pro-Palestinian protests, called himself a governmental captive connected Tuesday, successful his archetypal nonstop comments since his detention.

The detention of Khalil, a U.S. imperishable resident, has been condemned by aggregate quality rights groups arsenic an battle connected escaped code and owed process. Over 100 Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives person questioned the detention's legality successful a missive to the medication of Republican President Donald Trump.

Justice Department lawyers accidental Khalil, 30, was taxable to deportation due to the fact that Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined his U.S. beingness could person "adverse overseas argumentation consequences."

Khalil's lawsuit could trial wherever courts gully the enactment betwixt protected code guaranteed to citizens and non-citizens alike nether the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and the enforcement branch's presumption that immoderate protests tin undermine overseas policy.

WATCH | Arrest is 1 of the archetypal known to be linked to Trump's threats against pupil activists:

"My sanction is Mahmoud Khalil and I americium a governmental prisoner," Khalil said successful a missive made nationalist connected Tuesday.

"My apprehension was a nonstop effect of exercising my close to escaped code arsenic I advocated for a escaped Palestine and an extremity to the genocide successful Gaza, which resumed successful afloat unit Monday night," Khalil said successful the letter, referring to the latest renewed Israeli strikes connected Gaza that section authorities said killed implicit 400 Palestinians.

Khalil's lawyers person urged that helium beryllium released immediately. Khalil became a U.S. lawful imperishable nonmigratory past year. His woman is 8 months pregnant.

His March 8 apprehension sparked protests successful antithetic U.S. cities, including successful New York City connected Tuesday erstwhile hundreds gathered astatine Times Square demanding his release.

Trump has vowed to deport pro-Palestinian activists who took portion successful protests connected U.S. assemblage campuses against Israel's warfare successful Gaza pursuing an October 2023 Hamas attack. Trump has alleged the protesters are antisemitic and enactment Hamas militants.

Pro-Palestinian advocates, including immoderate Jewish groups, accidental their disapproval of Israel's battle connected Gaza is wrongly conflated with antisemitism by their critics portion their enactment for Palestinian rights is conflated with enactment for Hamas militants. Khalil said successful Tuesday's missive his apprehension was indicative of anti-Palestinian racism.

The authorities has not elaborated however Khalil could harm U.S. overseas policy. Trump, without evidence, has accused him of supporting Hamas. Khalil's ineligible squad says helium has nary links to Hamas.