By Victoria Keraj
On March 18, Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia University who federal immigration agents had arrested over his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests, made his first public statement since the arrest. His letter was dictated by phone from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Louisiana, where he is currently being held.
On March 8, Khalil was detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Khalil’s detainment sparked discussion on whether the charges against him constituted a violation of free speech, with protests being planned across the country, as reported by NBC.
In his letter, Khalil discusses the basis of his arrest. “My unjust detention is indicative of the anti-Palestinian racism that both the Biden and Trump administrations have demonstrated over the past 16 months […] U.S. laws and practices that are used to violently repress Palestinians, Arab Americans, and other communities. That is precisely why I am being targeted.”
In response to his arrest, a protest consisting of students from NYU was held in Washington Square Park, where “around 1,000 protesters marched down MacDougal Street chanting ‘Free Mahmoud Khalil now’” as reported by Washington Square News. In another act of protest against the arrest on Thursday, March 13, a group of approximately 150 protesters entered Trump Tower and staged a sit-in, chanting “Free Mahmoud” according to the NYPD. Ninety-eight of the protesters were arrested, according to CBS.
After receiving his permanent residency in the U.S., Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian, became an avid activist for the Palestinian cause at Columbia University. His green card has been the main target point towards deportation, as it has been used as a way to disbar Khalil’s legality in his residency. The offense claims that removing his green card would be justified and in the government’s right, according to CNN.
In his letter, Khalil mentioned that his arrest is part of a larger initiative. “The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent. Visa holders, green-card carriers, and citizens alike will all be targeted for their political beliefs […]. At stake are not just our voices, but the fundamental civil liberties of all.”
High-ranking officials from the presidential administration are moving forward with the possible deportation and arrest of Khalil, who is to be tried for his protest efforts and is set to appear before an immigration judge on March 27.
The Guardian described this arrest as a lead to “a high-stakes legal battle between the First Amendment and what the government claims are its foreign policy powers.” The First Amendment right constitutes Khalil’s freedom to protest, yet with niche laws being brought to the administration’s pleas for deportation, Khalil is at risk for deportation under certain circumstances.
According to the NYT, the legal basis for the deportation would come from a “little-used law to justify the detention. The measure says [Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state], can initiate deportation proceedings against any noncitizen whose presence in the United States he deems a threat to the country’s foreign policy aims.”
In response, Rubio stated on CBS’s Face the Nation: “If you are in this country to promote Hamas, to promote terrorist organizations, to participate in vandalism, to participate […] in acts of rebellion and riots on campus, we never would have- let you in.”
Recently, a federal judge temporarily blocked Khalil’s deportation, choosing for Khalil to attend his court hearing, according to CBS News.
Respective BC groups have been contacted by The Vanguard, but have not commented at this time.
The Vanguard will provide updates as they are made available.