Pro-Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil Returns to Columbia After ICE Detention

Return to Columbia Community

• 🎓 Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, was welcomed back by his university community.
• ⚖️ His return follows his release by a federal judge after spending over 100 days in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Ordeal and Detention

• 🗓️ Khalil's detention began on March 8th when ICE agents arrested him at his Columbia University apartment building.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 He spent 104 days in an ICE detention center in Louisiana, missing his graduation and the birth of his son.
• 🗣️ He described the arrest as feeling like being "literally kidnapped" by plainclothes agents.

Legal Battle and Deportation Efforts

• 🏛️ Khalil's attorneys argued that the Trump administration was retaliating against him for leading campus demonstrations.
• 🛡️ The Trump administration had labeled Khalil a threat to national security, an accusation his legal team refuted.
• ✊ Khalil stated that remaining silent in the face of injustice is the greatest threat to democracy.

Release and Continued Activism

• ✈️ He was reunited with his family at Newark airport, calling his return a "new chapter of justice."
• 🇵🇸 Khalil emphasized that his release is not a complete victory while Palestinians continue to face violence.
• ⚖️ The Trump administration appealed the judge's order for his release, and his attorneys plan to contest the appeal.
• 💪 He drew strength from the chant, "I believe that we will win," during his time in custody.