Mahmoud Khalil's detention will stretch on as lawyers spar over Trump's plan to deport him: Latest
Pro-Palestinian activist remains detained for now
Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, is fighting deportation after being detained by ICE in Louisiana. Khalil, a green card holder married to a U.S. citizen, was a key figure in protests at Columbia University and Barnard College. FOX 5’s Linda Schmidt has the latest.
NEW YORK - Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil will remain detained in Louisiana despite his lawyers' petition to have him returned to New York, where his eight-month-pregnant wife resides.
What we know:
Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident married to an American citizen, was arrested in New York on Saturday and later transferred to an immigration detention center in Louisiana. The Trump administration is seeking his deportation under a rarely used section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows for removal on foreign policy grounds.
A federal judge in Manhattan has blocked his deportation for now, ordering that Khalil not be removed while legal proceedings continue. However, Khalil’s legal team has struggled to communicate with him, prompting Judge Jesse M. Furman to order that his attorneys be allowed phone access at least twice this week.
A protest was held Wednesday Foley Square, with organizers urging New Yorkers to show their support for Khalil’s freedom and demand ICE be removed from campuses, following a petition signed by over 2 million people.
"What happened to Mahmoud Khalil is nothing short of extraordinary, shocking, and outrageous. It should outrage anybody who believes that speech should be free in the United States," said Ramzi Kassem, Khalil's lawyer.
Hundreds protest Mahmoud Khalil
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Foley Square in New York City, demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, whose detention by ICE has sparked outrage among activists nationwide. Protesters say Khalil’s arrest is part of a larger crackdown on student activism and a threat to free speech. FOX 5's Duarte Geraldino reports.
In a post on social media, President Donald Trump warned that Khalil's arrest and possible deportation would be the first "of many to come."
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - JUNE 01: Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil talks to the press during the press briefing organized by Pro-Palestinian protesters who set up a new encampment at Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus on Frid
Despite his lawyers' petition to have him returned to New York, where his wife is eight months pregnant, Khalil is being held at an ICE facility in Louisiana. The Trump administration has stated that he will not be brought back to New York.
SKIP TO: Who is Mahmoud Khalil?
FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference on February 27, 2025. (Photo by Carl Court - Pool/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security accuses Khalil of organizing protests aligned with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
"This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans," said Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary.
Here's everything to know about Mahmoud Khalil and why he is facing deportation:
What happened to Mahmoud Khalil?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2025/03/10: Hundreds protest in Foley Square demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and recent Columbia graduate. Khalil, a green card holder and married to a U.S. citizen, was
The backstory:
Khalil was detained Saturday night while he and his wife were returning to their Columbia University-owned apartment in Upper Manhattan by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Khalil's student visa was reportedly revoked, and agents detained him.
Khalil’s lawyers say he has a right to due process as a legal permanent resident and that the government is "engaging in blatant efforts to target and chill" Khalil’s free speech and to "discriminate against particular viewpoints," in violation of the First Amendment.
On Tuesday, protests broke out across New York City and clashed with police in Lower Manhattan as they marched towards City Hall.
Where is Khalil?
Khalil is currently being held at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, a low-slung complex ringed by barbed wire fences roughly 170 miles (275 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans, which can hold about 1,160 detainees.
Yasmine Taeb, the legislative and political director for the Muslim activist group MPower Change, says the intent is to break the morale and spirits of those held at these facilities.
Who is Mahmoud Khalil?
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - JUNE 01: Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil (C) talks to the press during the press briefing organized by Pro-Palestinian protesters who set up a new encampment at Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus on
Khalil, 30, was a spokesperson for Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian protests last year, part of a broader movement that led to more than 2,000 arrests on college campuses. His attorneys argue that he was targeted for his advocacy and free speech, not for any legal violations. Khalil has no criminal record.
In December, he finished his Master’s degree in public administration at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Most recently, he was among the pro-Palestinian activists investigated by a new disciplinary body at Columbia University focused on harassment and discrimination complaints.
Dig deeper:
Khalil was born and raised in Syria after his Palestinian grandparents were removed from their homeland, according to his lawsuit.
Apparently, he came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2022 to pursue his graduate studies at Columbia.
Khalil married his wife, who is a U.S. citizen, in 2023, and became a legal permanent resident — also known as a green card holder — last year.
Khalil also has an initial hearing in immigration court in Louisiana on March 21.
Can someone be deported with a green card?
Green card holders can be deported, but the government has to prove the person is deportable.
Grounds for deportation can range from being convicted of a range of crimes, from murder, assault and burglary to tax evasion, domestic violence and illegal firearms possession, according to Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law expert and retired Cornell Law School professor.