Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University activist, finds himself at the gates of the university on April 30, 2024. Khalil shares in a letter from a detention center in Louisiana where he is being held after his recent arrest by federal immigration authorities that he feels he was singled out for his advocacy for the Palestinian cause. In the letter, relayed to his family over the phone, Khalil expresses his observations of the injustices faced by many individuals who lack legal protections. The 30-year-old Algerian-born U.S. resident, married to a U.S. citizen, recounts his arrest by immigration agents in New York on March 8 and subsequent transfer to a facility in Jena, Louisiana.
Describing himself as a “political prisoner,” Khalil sheds light on the harsh conditions in the detention center and condemns Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. He questions who truly has the right to rights, highlighting the plight of detainees in the facility who are stripped of their liberties. Khalil recalls his arrest at his residence affiliated with Columbia University, where Department of Homeland Security agents detained him without a warrant and treated him and his wife aggressively.
Khalil’s detention has sparked protests calling for his release, with supporters gathering in New York on March 12. In his letter, he narrates the distressing experience of being handcuffed, forced into an unmarked car, and separated from his pregnant wife. Referring to his advocacy for a free Palestine and denouncing the violence in Gaza, Khalil stresses the moral obligation to continue fighting for the freedom of those affected.
Despite statements from the Department of Homeland Security linking Khalil to Hamas, Khalil’s lawyer refutes these claims, citing a lack of evidence to support the allegations. Khalil shares his personal background, mentioning his upbringing in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria following the 1948 Nakba, emphasizing his lifelong connection to his homeland.
Ian is a transformative experience that knows no boundaries. I can draw parallels between my own situation and the unjust practice of administrative detention in Israel, where Palestinians are detained without trial or charges, depriving them of their rights. For Palestinians, being imprisoned without proper legal process is a common occurrence.
Khalil expressed his belief that his arrest was fueled by “anti-Palestinian racism” evident in the actions of both the Biden and Trump administrations over the past 16 months. He highlighted the U.S.’s role in supplying weapons to Israel for attacking Palestinians and obstructing international efforts to intervene.
He warned that the Trump administration was singling him out as part of a broader effort to suppress dissent. Khalil cautioned that individuals with visas, green cards, or citizenship could all be targeted based on their political beliefs.
He called on students, advocates, and elected officials to unite in defending the rights of the Palestinian people to protest. Khalil stressed that the protection of not just their voices, but the basic civil liberties of all, is at stake.
Khalil’s legal team filed a preliminary injunction in a federal court in New York’s Southern District seeking his release to reunite with his wife.
In closing, Khalil expressed his hope of being present for the birth of his first child, despite his current circumstances.
