Mahmoud Khalil
Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian rights advocate, remains in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility following his arrest, which his supporters characterize as retaliation for his activism.
“The new allegations brought by DHS in Mahmoud's immigration case are completely meritless,” said Marc Van Der Hout, whose firm represents Khalil in his immigration proceedings. "They highlight that the government knows its prior assertion that Mahmoud should be deported for 'foreign policy' reasons is baseless and solely motivated by attempts to chill Mahmoud and others from exercising their completely lawful right to speak out.”
The Department of Homeland Security has introduced new allegations regarding Khalil's affiliations with the United Nations Relief Agency (UNRWA), his employment history with the British Embassy in Beirut, and purported membership in Columbia University Apartheid and Divest.
Van Der Hout clarified that Khalil completed an internship with UNRWA as part of his Columbia Master's program requirements, not as a member of the organization. He also disputed claims about Khalil's employment timeline at the British Embassy, stating it ended in December 2022 as declared in Khalil's residency application.
Dr. Noor Abdalla, Khalil's wife who is expecting their child, called the new allegations "ridiculous" and evidence that "the U.S. government has no ground to stand on in my husband's case."
"The Trump administration is grasping at straws to find charges to bring against my husband, who has done nothing except speak up for Palestinians who are being killed with U.S. weapons in Gaza," Abdalla said.
Khalil's legal team maintains that the government's actions amount to "McCarthyism repeating itself" and constitute an effort to silence political speech. They continue to advocate for his immediate release after 16 days in detention.
