Members of Jewish Voice for Palestine, which claims to be the "largest Jewish organization standing in solidarity with Palestine," stormed Trump Tower in New York City to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestine activist the Republican administration is seeking to deport.
Holding signs like "come for one, face us all, fight Nazis, not students, and never again for anyone," members of the group wearing red shirts remained in the lobby of the iconic building.
In a publication on X, the organization said the "abduction" of Khalil last Saturday "marks a new, severe escalation in the Trump administration's attack on the movement for Palestinian freedom in the US, which has aimed its first crackdown at universities where students have organized."
Mahmoud’s abduction by ICE marks a new, severe escalation in the Trump administration’s attack on the movement for Palestinian freedom in the US, which has aimed its first crackdown at universities where students have organized. pic.twitter.com/0BTtCce21P
— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) March 13, 2025
"Trump boasted about the abduction, including with a post saying 'Shalom Mahmoud,' claiming it was for the purpose of fighting antisemitism. But Mahmoud's kidnapping has nothing to do with Jewish safety. The Trump administration thinks it can crush dissent and strip away constitutional rights. We know this playbook. We refuse to allow our neighbors to be abducted in our name," the publication added.
The group went on to say that "under the guise of fighting antisemitism, the Trump regime is using attacks on the movement for Palestinian freedom as an opening to dismantle civil liberties and the entire progressive movement." "This is how fascism works. We refuse to be divided or silenced."
The Trump administration has stood by the detention, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that the issue is not a matter of First Amendment rights but rather of legal immigration status.
"This is not about free speech," Rubio said when addressing the matter during a briefing in Ireland on Wednesday. "This is about people who do not have a right to be in the United States to begin with." He emphasized that holding a student visa or a green card is a privilege, not a right, and stated that individuals who engage in activities deemed adversarial to U.S. interests could be subject to deportation.
Federal authorities are reportedly investigating Khalil as a potential national security threat, linking him to Hamas, even though, as Vox points out, the government has not offered evidence to back the accusation.
State Department officials have stated that his activities could have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited the Immigration and Nationality Act in justifying the revocation of his green card, asserting that Khalil "took advantage" of his presence in the U.S. "by siding with terrorists," as Fox News reports.
Khalil has not been charged with a crime, and his legal team is contesting his detention on constitutional grounds. His attorneys argue that his First and Fifth Amendment rights have been violated and are seeking to have him returned to New York. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is attempting to transfer the case out of the Southern District of New York, arguing that the Manhattan federal court is "an improper venue." Khalil remains in detention as his case proceeds. He will remain in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana for the time being as legal proceedings continue.
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