Mahmoud Khalil

Mahmoud Khalil is a Columbia graduate student and lawful permanent resident who was abducted from his home and from his then 8-month pregnant wife by ICE agents in an illegal arrest on March 8. Mahmoud was targeted by the Trump administration for his pro-Palestinian views and was arrested in an effort to silence dissent. 

Once arrested, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) transferred Mahmoud to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, after his lawyers filed a federal habeas petition in the Southern District of New York, challenging his detention. Soon after, we filed a preliminary injunction on Mahmoud’s behalf, arguing that he should be released since his arrest and detention are unconstitutional and retaliatory. 

Mahmoud has two legal cases: immigration and federal.

In the immigration case, a Louisiana judge recently ruled that Mahmoud is deportable, in a decision that appeared to be pre-written. This decision came less than 48 hours after the U.S. government handed over “evidence” they have on Mahmoud. This included nothing more than a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that made clear Mahmoud had not committed a crime.

In his federal case, Mahmoud is challenging the constitutionality of his detention and fighting for the right to free speech. Most recently, a federal judge from NJ ruled that Mahmoud’s lawsuit against ICE must proceed in NJ, rejecting Trump officials’ efforts to transfer the case to Louisiana, where he remains detained.

“His disappearance has devastated our lives. Every day without him is filled with uncertainty - not just for me, but for our entire family and community. Our loved ones are struggling with the pain and fear of his sudden absence.”

– Dr. Noor Abdalla, wife of Mahmoud Khalil 

“When the government rips a U.S. permanent resident away from his expecting U.S. citizen wife in the dead of night and moves him a thousand miles away to an administrative court for a rush job of a hearing before a functionary who serves at the pleasure of the President, it comes as no surprise that the outcome is exactly as the government engineered it. But no one should be fooled: all of it is motivated by this government’s desire to silence, punish, and deport Mahmoud for his speech in defense of Palestinian lives and rights. With Mahmoud, we will continue to fight in court and beyond until he is back with his family and community at home in New York.”

– Ramzi Kassem, Co-Director & Founder of CLEAR