By Victoria Keraj, Paulina Gajewski, Rami Mansi
Following the detainment by U.S. authorities of pro-Palestine advocate Mahmoud Khalil on March 8, activist communities across New York have launched efforts to free him.
On March 8, Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia University, was arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over his connection to organizing pro-Palestinian protests. He is currently being held in a detention center in Lousiana, according to NPR. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for Public Affairs and spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), mentioned that the arrest was connected to Khalil’s role in the protests, stating that he “led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” according to AP News.
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. Khalil’s lawyers state that this arrest violated the free speech amendment.
In his letter released on March 18, which was his first public statement since the arrest, 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.”
Khalil’s detainment sparked discussion on his charges, with protests being planned across the country, as reported by NBC.
A protest consisting of students from NYU was held in Washington Square Park on Tuesday, March 11, where “around 1,000 protesters marched down MacDougal Street chanting ‘Free Mahmoud Khalil now,’” as reported by Washington Square News. The protest began in the park with speeches from an NYU professor and student, and then the group headed east toward City Hall.
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.” Ninety-eight of the protesters were arrested, according to CBS.
On Saturday, March 15, a protest organized by various advocacy groups gathered in Times Square to demand Khalil’s release. These groups included Shut it Down for Palestine, the People’s Forum, and the New York Chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement, according to the Columbia Spectator. Protestors held signs that stated “ICE OFF OF OUR CAMPUSES”, “ICE IS NOT WELCOME HERE”, and “FULL RIGHTS FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS.”
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, but 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.”
On March 13, a federal judge temporarily blocked Khalil’s deportation, choosing for Khalil to attend his court hearing, according to CBS News. As of March 19, a federal judge agreed that Khalil’s case should be moved to New Jersey, denying the Trump administration’s to dismiss the case or move it to Louisiana.
BC groups such as the BC Student Union and BC students in conjunction with Left Voice held open discussions in response this past Monday, March 17, and Tuesday, March 18.
The Vanguard will provide updates as they are made available.