Mahmoud Khalil is a lawful permanent resident and graduate of Columbia University’s graduate School of International and Public Affairs. While at Columbia, Khalil was a leader in the student movement for a free Palestine on campus in 2024. On March 6th, 2025, Khalil was arrested by ICE in New York City at his home. He was moved to a detention center in New Jersey and then quickly transferred to a detention center in Louisiana. His case has two components: 1) fighting for his release from detention and 2) challenging the government’s allegations that he is subject to deportation, since he is a lawful permanent resident.
Khalil was detained for 104 days in Louisiana. During this time, he missed the birth of his first child. A federal judge found that this 1st Amendment rights were violated and ordered his release in June 2025. Khalil is currently residing with his family in New York and continuing his work as an advocate.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Khalil continues to fight his deportation case. The administration claims that Khalil is deportable because his presence in the United States as a vocal advocate for the freedom and dignity of Palestinian people presents adverse foreign policy consequences. In September 2025, an immigration judge in Louisiana found that he was deportable and ordered him deported based on the assertion that he allegedly omitted information on his immigration applications. His case is currently being appealed. Meanwhile, DHS asserted in January 2026 that he would be deported to Algeria.
In addition, Khalil’s legal team has filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration. The first lawsuit is asking for monetary damages to compensate him for the harm caused by his incarceration and separation from his family. The second lawsuit is a demand that the administration share the information they used to track and arrest him.