Latest news with #Khalil
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Mahmoud Khalil claims Trump administration used ICE detention to silence activism on Gaza
Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil has spoken out about his prolonged detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging it was politically motivated due to his activism in support of Gaza. In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Khalil said he believes the Trump administration targeted him as part of a broader effort to intimidate those advocating for Palestinian rights. 'They want to conflate any speech for the right of Palestinians with speech that supports terrorism, which is totally wrong,' Khalil told CNN, asserting that his 100-plus days in detention were an attempt to make an example of him and discourage similar activism. A legal permanent resident, Khalil was arrested in March without any criminal charges filed against him. He described harsh treatment during his transfer to a Louisiana detention facility, including being shackled and arriving with a severely swollen leg that made it difficult to walk. While in custody, Khalil was denied temporary release to attend the birth of his child. 'It was the most difficult moment in my life,' he said, calling the situation avoidable and unnecessarily punitive. Khalil was involved in campus demonstrations urging Columbia University to divest from companies allegedly complicit in violence in Gaza. He emphasized the peaceful nature of the protests and suggested his detention sends a chilling message: 'Even if you are a legal resident, even if you are a citizen, actually, we will find a way to come after you.' His legal team has filed a $20 million claim, accusing the government of political retaliation. A White House spokesperson told Axios that Khalil had 'consistently engaged in conduct detrimental to American foreign policy interests.' The case continues to raise concerns about free speech and the potential use of immigration enforcement as a political tool.
Egypt Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
‘I knew I would prevail': Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil talks to CNN about his months in ICE detention
CNN — Detained for more than 100 days without charge, and with the threat of deportation looming over him, Palestinian student activist Detained for more than 100 days without charge, and with the threat of deportation looming over him, Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil was convinced he would eventually prevail. In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Khalil, who is now back with his young family, describes the months languishing in a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, and the pain of being denied permission to be present at his son's birth. 'It was a very, very dehumanizing experience, for someone who was not accused of any crime, whatsoever,' said Khalil, a green card holder who had no formal criminal or civil charges brought against him. His detention sparked outrage across the US. On Thursday Khalil's lawyers filed a claim against the Trump administration for $20 million in damages, alleging he was falsely imprisoned, prosecuted and portrayed as antisemitic as the government sought to deport him over his role in campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security in a statement called Khalil's claim 'absurd.' His arrest outside his apartment on Columbia University's campus in New York City in March, as he returned home from a dinner with his wife, felt like a 'kidnap,' he told Amanpour. Plainclothes agents had followed him into the lobby of his building, and threatened his wife with arrest if she didn't separate from him, he said. CNN has previously reported that the ICE agents did not have a warrant during Khalil's arrest. Khalil was among the first in a series of high-profile arrests of pro-Palestinian students as US President Donald Trump's administration moved to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses. The 30-year-old, who was born in a refugee camp in Syria before going on to graduate from Columbia, had played a prominent role negotiating on behalf of pro-Palestinian protesters at the university. Once taken, he was moved first to New Jersey, then to Texas, and finally to an ICE detention center in Louisiana – more than 1,000 miles away from his wife, a US citizen, who was then eight months pregnant. 'I was literally moved from one place to another, like an object,' he recalled, referring to his transfers to different detention facilities. 'I was shackled all the time,' he said. But, he said, the days in the detention center never broke his spirit. 'From the moment that I was detained, I knew that I would eventually prevail,' he said. 'What I simply did is protesting a genocide.' Israel has repeatedly pushed back against claims its war in Gaza is a genocide. Protesters rally in support of detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil in March in New York. Jason DeCrow/AP The food in the ICE center in Louisiana was nearly 'inedible,' he said. After being served meat that made him vomit, he switched to vegetarian options, he said. The center was bitterly cold, but repeated requests for blankets were ignored, he said. 'The moment you enter such ICE facilities, your rights literally stay outside,' he told Amanpour. CNN has previously reached out to ICE for comment about the conditions at its Louisiana facilities – its policies indicate detention is non-punitive. The GEO Group, the corporation that runs the facility where Khalil was held, has denied allegations of abuse. The Trump administration has argued that Khalil's actions pose a threat to its foreign policy goal of combatting antisemitism. His lawyers have vehemently pushed back on that assertion. After accusing him – without evidence – of being a Hamas sympathizer, the Trump administration, who sought Khalil's deportation, said it was justified because he did not reveal connections to two organizations in his application to become a permanent US resident. His attorneys have said that argument is weak. Khalil told Amanpour the Trump administration's allegations against him were 'absurd.' 'They want to conflate any speech for the rights of Palestinians with speech that's supporting terrorism, which is totally wrong,' he said. 'It's a message that they want to make an example out of me, even if you are a legal resident… that we will find a way to come after you, to punish you, if you speak, against what we want.' Khalil told the Associated Press that if his claim against the Trump administration is successful, he plans to share any settlement money with others targeted in Trump's 'failed' effort to suppress pro-Palestinian speech. In lieu of a settlement, he would also accept an official apology and changes to the administration's deportation policies. 'I couldn't hold him' Amid the inedible food, the cold, and fear he might be deported, one moment stood out as the hardest to bear – immigration officials denying him permission to be present at the birth of his firstborn child. Attorneys for Khalil in May said officials at the Louisiana center cited a 'blanket no-contact visitation policy' and unspecified security concerns as part of their reason to deny the request. 'Missing the birth of my child. I think that was the most difficult moment in my life… We put so many requests to be able, to attend that that moment,' Khalil said. 'I don't think I would be able to forgive them, for taking that moment away from, from me.' 'The first time I saw my child was literally through thick glass. He was literally in front of me, like, five centimeters away from me… I couldn't hold him. 'And when the moment came to hold him, it was by court order, to have one hour… with him.' Claire Calzonetti and Nadia Lee contributed to this report.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Mahmoud Khalil: Trump admin wants to ‘make an example out of me'
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil said during a recent appearance on CNN that President Trump's administration wanted use him as 'an example' after he was detained for over three months. 'It's absurd. It's basically to intimidate me. They want to conflate any speech for the right of Palestinians with a speech that's supporting terrorism, which is totally wrong,' Khalil, a green card holder and former Columbia University student, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. Federal immigration agents arrested Khalil in early March and he was detained for over 100 days. Khalil was not charged with a crime and ended up being released last month. Khalil's case was the first arrested in a push by the administration to crack down on foreign students protesting on college campuses against the Israel-Hamas war. 'The protests were peaceful. We're asking a simple ask to stop Columbia University and the U.S. complicity in the genocide that's happening in Gaza,' Khalil said. 'And that's why I see these accusations as intimidation.' 'This is what's happening or what happened to me and to others. And it's a message that they want to make an example out of me,' he added. 'Even if you are a legal resident, even if you are a citizen, actually that we will find a way to come after you.' Khalil's lawyers filed a claim on Thursday for $20 million in damages against the administration, contending that the Palestinian activist faced political retaliation for his activism. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Axios that Khali has 'consistently engaged in conduct detrimental to American foreign policy interests.' During the Friday interview, Khalil detailed his experience while in custody in Louisiana. 'I was shackled all the time. And my ankles as well. It felt like I was criminal. I did not know what charges they have against me. And, by the time I arrived in Louisiana, my leg was, was fully swollen, and I couldn't walk to enter the detention center,' he said on Friday. 'So it was very, very dehumanizing experience, for someone who was not accused of any crime, whatsoever,' he continued. Khalil said being denied temporary release to see his son, who was born this spring, was the 'most difficult moment in my life,' adding that it 'could have been avoided.' 'And it's a combination of anger and happiness. I was happy that I'm finally holding him in my hands, but at the same time angry at the system that deprives people from such important moments in their lives,' he said.
Global News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Now freed, Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim against Trump administration
On a recent afternoon, Mahmoud Khalil sat in his Manhattan apartment, cradling his 10-week-old son as he thought back to the pre-dawn hours spent pacing a frigid immigration jail in Louisiana, awaiting news of the child's birth in New York. For a moment, the outspoken Palestinian activist found himself uncharacteristically speechless. 'I cannot describe the pain of that night,' Khalil said finally, gazing down as the baby, Deen, cooed in his arms. 'This is something I will never forgive.' Now, weeks after regaining his freedom, Khalil is seeking restitution. On Thursday, his lawyers filed a claim for $20 million in damages against the Trump administration, alleging Khalil was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him over his prominent role in campus protests. The filing — a precursor to a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act — names the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the State Department. Story continues below advertisement It comes as the deportation case against Khalil, a 30-year-old recent graduate student at Columbia University, continues to wind its way through the immigration court system. The goal, Khalil said, is to send a message that he won't be intimidated into silence. 'They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable,' Khalil said. 'Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.' 1:56 Mahmoud Khalil released from ICE custody after more than 3 months in jail Khalil said he plans to share any settlement money with others targeted in Trump's 'failed' effort to suppress pro-Palestinian speech. In lieu of a settlement, he would also accept an official apology and changes to the administration's deportation policies. A White House spokesperson deferred comment to the State Department, which said its actions were fully supported by the law. Story continues below advertisement In an emailed statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called Khalil's claim 'absurd,' accusing him of 'hateful behavior and rhetoric' that threatened Jewish students. Harsh conditions and an 'absurd' allegation The filing accuses President Donald Trump and other officials of mounting a haphazard and illegal campaign to 'terrorize him and his family,' beginning with Khalil's March 8 arrest. On that night, he said he was returning home from dinner with his wife, Noor Abdalla, when he was 'effectively kidnapped' by plainclothes federal agents, who refused to provide a warrant and appeared surprised to learn he was a legal U.S. permanent resident. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He was then whisked overnight to an immigration jail in Jena, Louisiana, a remote location that was 'deliberately concealed' from his family and attorneys, according to the filing. Inside, Khalil said he was denied his ulcer medication, forced to sleep under harsh fluorescent lights and fed 'nearly inedible' food, causing him to lose 15 pounds (7 kilograms). 'I cannot remember a night when I didn't go to sleep hungry,' Khalil recalled. Meanwhile, the Trump administration publicly celebrated the arrest, promising to deport him and others whose protests against Israel it dubbed 'pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.' Khalil, who has condemned antisemitism before and since his arrest, was not accused of a crime and has not been linked to Hamas or any other terror group. 'At some point, it becomes like reality TV,' Khalil said of the allegations. 'It's very absurd.' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Mahmoud Khalil, right, speaks to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., after arriving at Newark International Airport, Saturday, June 21, 2025, in Newark, N.J. Seth Wenig / The Associated Press Deported for beliefs A few weeks into his incarceration, Khalil was awoken by a fellow detainee, who pointed excitedly to his face on a jailhouse TV screen. A new memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Khalil hadn't broken the law, but argued he should be deported for beliefs that could undermine U.S. foreign policy interests. 'My beliefs are not wanting my tax money or tuition going toward investments in weapons manufacturers for a genocide,' Khalil said. 'It's as simple as that.' By then, Khalil had become something of a celebrity in the 1,200-person lock-up. When not dealing with his own case, he hosted 'office hours' for fellow immigrant detainees, leaning on his past experience working at a British embassy in Beirut to help others organize paperwork and find translators for their cases. Story continues below advertisement 'I'm pretty good at bureaucracy,' Khalil said. At night, they played Russian and Mexican card games, as Khalil listened to 'one story after another from people who didn't understand what's happening to them.' 'This was one of the most heartbreaking moments,' he said. 'People on the inside don't know if they have any rights.' View image in full screen A people gathered in Foley Square, outside the Manhattan federal court, in support of Mahmoud Khalil, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in New York. Stefan Jeremiah / The Associated Press Lost time On June 20, after 104 days in custody, Khalil was ordered released by a federal judge, who found the government's efforts to remove him on foreign policy grounds were likely unconstitutional. He now faces new allegations of misrepresenting personal details on his green card application. In a motion filed late Wednesday, attorneys for Khalil described those charges as baseless and retaliatory, urging a judge to dismiss them. Story continues below advertisement The weeks since his release, Khalil said, have brought moments of bliss and intense personal anguish. Fearing harassment or possible arrest, he leaves the house less frequently, avoiding large crowds or late-night walks. But he lit up as he remembered watching Deen taking his first swim earlier in the week. 'It was not very pleasant for him,' Khalil said, smiling. View image in full screen Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, hold their baby Deen during an interview, July 3, 2025, in New York. Yuki Iwamura / The Associated Press 'I'm trying as much as possible to make up for the time with my son and my wife,' he added. 'As well thinking about my future and trying to comprehend this new reality.' Part of that reality, he said, will be continuing his efforts to advocate against Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. On the day after his release, he led a march through Manhattan, draped in a Palestinian flag — and flanked by security. Story continues below advertisement As he poured Deen's milk into a bottle, Khalil considered whether he might've done anything differently had he known the personal cost of his activism. 'We could've communicated better. We could've built more bridges with more people,' he said. 'But the core thing of opposing a genocide, I don't think you can do that any differently. This is your moral imperative when you're watching your people be slaughtered by the minute.'
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Released pro-Palestinian protest leader sues Trump for $20m
Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent leaders of US pro-Palestinian campus protests, sued the Trump administration on Thursday for $20 million over his arrest and detention by immigration agents. Khalil, a legal permanent resident in the United States who is married to a US citizen and has a US-born son, had been in custody following his arrest in March. The 30-year-old was freed from a federal immigration detention center in Louisiana last month, hours after a judge ordered his release on bail. "The administration carried out its illegal plan to arrest, detain, and deport Mr Khalil 'in a manner calculated to terrorise him and his family,' the claim says," according to the Center for Constitutional Rights which is backing Khalil. Khalil suffered "severe emotional distress, economic hardship (and) damage to his reputation," the claim adds. Mahmoud Khalil gives an interview in New York. AP The Columbia University graduate was a figurehead of student protests against US ally Israel's war in Gaza, and the Trump administration labeled him a national security threat. Khalil called the lawsuit a "first step towards accountability." "Nothing can restore the 104 days stolen from me. The trauma, the separation from my wife, the birth of my first child that I was forced to miss," he said in the statement. "There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power." Khalil has previously shared his "horrendous" experience in detention, where he "shared a dorm with over 70 men, absolutely no privacy, lights on all the time." Signs in support of Mahmoud Khalil are displayed during an interview in New York. AP Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said "the Trump Administration acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property." President Donald Trump's government has justified pushing for Khalil's deportation by saying his continued presence in the United States could carry "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." Khalil's detention came amid Trump's campaign against top US universities in recent months, with the president facing off against Columbia, Harvard and other schools over foreign student enrollment while cutting federal grants and threatening to strip accreditation. Beyond his legal case, Khalil's team has expressed fear he could face threats out of detention. Agence France-Presse
