Who is Mahmoud Khalil? Columbia University grad detained by ICE

Khalil, a Palestinian activist who was involved in Columbia University's protests last year, has been detained by ICE.

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Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian who recently completed his graduate studies at Columbia University and played a leading role in campus protests last year, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Saturday evening, the Associated Press reported.

Newsweek has reached out to Khalil's lawyer and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment via email on Sunday.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump has called out Columbia University over last year's student activism which saw pro-Palestinian students clashing with pro-Israel students over the war in Gaza.

On Friday, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal funding from the university over what Trump characterized as a failure to crack down on antisemitism on campus. He has also signed an executive order focused on combatting antisemitism, which specifically called out campus protests in the wake of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

On Truth Social, Trump threatened to punish any school that permits "illegal" protests and that "agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came," in a crackdown on free speech and dissent.

Trump shares warm relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has repeatedly suggested displacing Palestinians from Gaza and having the United States take ownership of the enclave and rebuild it. He has also pledged to enact mass deportations across the U.S.

What To Know

At around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, plainclothes officers reportedly approached Khalil and his wife, who is eight months pregnant and a U.S. citizen, at their residence in a university-owned building.

The agents reportedly claimed the State Department had revoked his student visa, which they cited as the reason for his detention.

Khalil is a green card holder and a lawful permanent resident, his lawyer Amy Greer, told the officers, per the AP. The officers responded that the State Department was revoking that as well.

When asked if the State Department could confirm the revocation of Khalil's green card, a department spokesperson told Newsweek in an email: "Visa records are confidential under U.S. law. Therefore, we cannot comment on individual visa cases."

Khalil is being held in ICE custody, with some reports saying he is at the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in New Jersey, although his location is not confirmed.

"We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained," Greer told the AP. "This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats."

Many civil rights advocates and pro-Palestine supporters have expressed outrage over his arrest, while some pro-Israel supporters have praised the DHS's actions.

Who Is Mahmoud Khalil?

Khalil finished his graduate studies at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in December 2024. Prior to attending Columbia, he received a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the Lebanese American University, according to the Society for International Development (SID).

A profile of him on SID states that he has worked for the Syria Office in the British Embassy in Beirut and Jusoor, a Syrian American educational nonprofit.

Last year, while he was a student at Columbia, he served as a negotiator for pro-Palestinian protestors and the university administration over tent encampments. He was a member of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group.

Prior to his arrest, the Palestinian activist told AP last week, "I have around 13 allegations against me, most of them are social media posts that I had nothing to do with."

The allegations are from the university's newly created Office of Institutional Equity, which has sent dozens of notices to students who have participated in a range of activities in support of Palestinians, according to the AP. Khalil has been accused of organizing an event that glorified Hamas' October 7 attack. The U.S. recognizes Hamas as a terror organization.

Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is on the Columbia University campus in New York at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on April 29, 2024. Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is on the Columbia University campus in New York at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on April 29, 2024. AP Photo/Ted ShaffreyWhat People Are Saying

Columbia University said in a Sunday statement: "There have been reports of ICE around campus. Columbia has and will continue to follow the law. Consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas, including University buildings. Columbia is committed to complying with all legal obligations and supporting our student body and campus community."

Stop Antisemitism advocacy group celebrated his arrest in an X post on Sunday: "Update out of Columbia - pro Palestinian riot leader Mahmoud Khalil was arrested & detained yesterday by DHS (Department of Homeland Security). The U.S. Dept of State has now revoked Mahmoud Khalil's immigration status due to his participation in mob riots at Columbia. He is now thankfully facing deportation. May this be the first of many!"

Action Network created a petition demanding the release of Khalil, writing: "Like many other Arab and Muslim students, Khalil has been the target of various zionist harassment campaigns, fueled by doxxing websites like Canary Mission. This racist targeting serves to instill fear in pro-Palestine activists as well as a warning to others. Add your name to demand the immediate release of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil from DHS detention and a reversal to Columbia University's protocol permitting ICE on campus without a warrant."

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., wrote in an X post on Sunday: "@Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of our nation who has not been charged with or convicted of a single crime. The Department of Homeland Security's lawless decision to arrest him solely because of his peaceful anti-genocide activism represents a blatant attack on the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, immigration laws, and the very humanity of Palestinians. We and other civil rights groups are in communication with Mahmoud's legal counsel. This fight is just starting."

Katie Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller's wife, wrote on X Sunday about Khalil's arrest: "Law Enforcement enforcing the rule of law."

What Happens Next?

Further developments in Khalil's case are expected soon. It is unknown if similar arrests will take place across campuses soon.

In certain cases, the DHS can initiate deportation proceedings against green card holders for alleged criminal activity, which includes support of a terror group, according to the AP.

Camille Mackler, founder of Immigrant ARC, a coalition of legal service providers in New York, told the AP that the removal of an individual's permanent resident status would ultimately be decided by an immigration judge overseeing the deportation proceeding.

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