Mahmoud Khalil remains in limbo but ready to fight Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student known for his role in the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests, continues to face legal challenges a year after his detention. His case has become a focal point in the debate over immigration due process and the Trump administration’s policies on detaining and deporting noncitizens who criticize Israel’s actions in Gaza. Khalil was arrested in March 2025 and spent over 100 days in immigration custody while awaiting a decision on his future. During this time, he missed the birth of his son and remained separated from his family. Despite the prolonged detention, Khalil has remained resolute, stating that the government has not charged him with any crimes or presented evidence of wrongdoing. He claims he was targeted for his activism, which he describes as part of a student movement opposing U.S. support for Israel. The Trump administration’s approach to Khalil’s case has been marked by legal maneuvering. Initially, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” as a reason for his detention, a rarely used statute. Khalil’s legal team argued that the administration failed to follow proper procedures, and a federal judge in New Jersey ruled that the government’s actions likely violated the Constitution by penalizing him for his protected political speech. The case took a new turn when the administration attempted to revoke Khalil’s green card, alleging he lied about his work for the U.N. and the British Embassy. Khalil and his attorneys dispute these claims, asserting that his U.N. work was as an intern supervised by Columbia University.#new_york #marco_rubio #zohran_mamdani #mahmoud_khalil #columbia_university
