Born in a Syrian refugee camp, Mahmoud Khalil is a 29-year-old Palestinian activist and former graduate student at Columbia University. He emerged as a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian protests on campus in 2023. Khalil earned a master’s degree in public administration at Columbia and was engaged in student-led coalitions advocating for divestment from Israel.
In a new development in his life, Khalil was arrested on March 9 by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The arrest was allegedly based on the allegations that he engaged in activities associated with Hamas. The allegations had resulted in the revocation of his green card and his detention.
The arrest of Khalil has unfolded outrage, with his supporters claiming that the move is an attempt to suppress free speech and lawful dissent. The supporters further see this as one of the first actions by US President Donald Trump to adhere to his promise to target “foreign students involvement in pro-Palestine protests,” which he labeled as “antisemitic. To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,” Trump’s executive order further claimed.
Meanwhile, Trump on Monday afternoon wrote of Khalil’s arrest, “This is the first arrest of many to come.” “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country—never to return again.”
Furthermore, in a statement, Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said, “Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” and linked his arrest to Trump’s executive order. Later on, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the Trump Administration “will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
As reported by Reuters, Khalil, a few hours before his arrest on Saturday, said he was concerned that the government was targeting him for speaking to the media.
