Democrats are speaking out against the Trump administration for working with Columbia University to arrest pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student who holds a Green Card and is a permanent U.S. resident.
Khalil, who was born in Syria and obtained his graduate degree from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs in December, has been a vocal supporter of Palestine. He served as a negotiator for students bargaining with university officials to dismantle the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment," which sparked a global movement but made Khalil a target for pro-Israel activists, AP News reported.
University officials worked with the Trump administration and Khalil was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs agents, who also threatened to arrest his 8-month pregnant wife, in his apartment on Saturday.
Since then, protests have erupted and #FreeMahmoudKhalil has trended across social media as the nation has called for him to be freed. Several Democratic politicians have also spoken out in support of the detained activist.
"Free Mahmoud Khalil. This is straight out of the fascist playbook. Criminalizing dissent is an assault on our First Amendment and freedom of speech," Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib wrote in an X post shared Monday.
"Revoking someone's green card for expressing their political opinion is illegal. Protesting genocide is not a crime," the Michigan lawmaker added.
New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote she is "extremely concerned" about Khalil on her X account on Monday.
"I am extremely concerned about the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, an advocate and legal permanent resident of Palestinian descent," James wrote. "My office is monitoring the situation, and we are in contact with his attorney."
Senate Judiciary Democrats shared an X post calling for Khalil's release.
"'This is the first arrest of many to come.' —President Trump," the White House's official X account posted in response.
The Trump administration has not explained why Khalil was arrested and detained but has labeled his activism "antisemitic."
As of Monday afternoon, Khalil had been transferred to the La Salle Detention Facility in Jena, Louisiana.
In August 2024, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights nonprofit and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released "Inside the Black Hole: Systemic Human Rights Abuses Against Immigrants Detained & Disappeared in Louisiana," a report that found detainees at the federal detention center where Khalil is being held were assaulted, abused and denied of food and water, The Guardian reported.
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