A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after leading student demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza. The ruling comes amid escalating concerns that the administration is using immigration law as a tool to silence political dissent, marking a dangerous shift toward authoritarian suppression of free speech.
Khalil was taken into custody on March 8 by plainclothes ICE agents as he and his pregnant wife returned to their Columbia University-owned apartment in New York City. His green card was revoked on the spot, and his wife—an American citizen—was threatened with arrest if she resisted. According to Khalil’s attorney, ICE officers provided no valid legal documentation for his detention, instead showing a picture of a warrant on a phone, which is not legally sufficient.
The Trump administration wasted no time in framing Khalil’s detention as part of a broader crackdown on student activists. On Truth Social, Trump personally called Khalil a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student,” adding:
“This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it.”
Despite these claims, no evidence has been presented that Khalil has engaged in illegal activity or has any ties to terrorism. Legal experts point out that deporting a green card holder for political speech is unconstitutional. Stephen Yale-Loehr, a retired immigration law professor at Cornell, stated:
“The government would need to prove that he’s done something more than just speaking out, like offering material support to Hamas. That would be a ground of deportability. They can’t deport only for free speech advocacy.”
After Khalil’s lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition, U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman issued an order preventing the government from removing him from the country until further review. In his ruling, Furman stated:
“To preserve the Court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, Petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise.”
A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, where Khalil’s legal team will argue that his detention is politically motivated and in violation of his constitutional rights.
One of Khalil’s attorneys, Baher Azmy, sharply criticized the Trump administration’s actions, saying:
“Setting aside the false and preposterous premise that advocating on behalf of Palestinian human rights and to plead with public officials to stop an ongoing genocide constitutes alignment with Hamas, his speech is absolutely protected by the Constitution, and it should be chilling to everyone that the United States government could punish or try to deport someone because they disapprove of the speech they’re engaged in.”
News of Khalil’s detention sparked widespread outrage, leading to large-scale protests in New York City. Thousands gathered in Foley Square before marching to City Hall, calling for his immediate release. At least one person was detained during the demonstration.
An organizer with the New York City chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement issued a statement on Instagram:
“We refuse to remain silent while these attacks against our rights are escalating… and together, we will be united as we fight the Trump administration’s despicable agenda against our people.”
Jewish and civil liberties organizations have also condemned the Trump administration’s actions. Jewish Voice for Peace released a statement, warning:
“Trump’s brutal executive orders and now kidnapping of a student endanger all people, beginning with those most vulnerable and those speaking out for justice. This is how fascism works and the only defense is to refuse to be divided or silenced. History has shown us that we cannot stand idly by — and we will not.”
New York Civil Liberties Union President Donna Lieberman called the deportation attempt “targeted retaliation and an extreme attack on the First Amendment.”
Mark Jacob, former editor at the Chicago Tribune, urged Americans to take Khalil’s arrest as a warning:
“It’s vital for us to take the Trump regime’s arrest of Mahmoud Khalil seriously. He had a valid green card. Was charged with no crime. Was accused of being ‘aligned’ with Hamas, whatever that means. Trump is a fascist. His henchmen will crush free speech in this country if we let them.”
Columbia faculty also spoke out against Khalil’s arrest. Professor Michael Thaddeus released a statement saying:
“We’re facing a horrifying reality that our own student, a member of the Columbia community, has become a political prisoner here in the United States.”
Khalil’s detention is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to target pro-Palestinian activists on college campuses. Last week, Trump announced his plan to revoke visas and green cards of students engaging in “anti-American” protests.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the administration’s position, posting on X:
“We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
The crackdown extends beyond Khalil. The Trump administration rescinded $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, accusing the school of failing to combat antisemitism. The move has been widely seen as retaliation for last year’s campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Columbia University, however, has failed to directly address Khalil’s detention. Its statement merely reaffirmed that law enforcement requires a warrant to enter campus property, but did not condemn ICE’s unconstitutional actions.
Legal experts warn that Khalil’s case sets a dangerous precedent. If the Trump administration succeeds in deporting him based on political activism alone, it could open the door to further repression of student activists, journalists, and political dissidents.
Khalil’s attorney, Amy Greer, emphasized the gravity of the case:
“This is part of the US government’s open repression of student activism and political speech.”
Concerns are mounting that Trump’s policies are designed to criminalize dissent. His administration has already reintroduced a bill to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization and has shifted FBI resources away from monitoring far-right extremism to instead target Black Lives Matter and leftist activists.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was “extremely concerned” and is monitoring Khalil’s case closely.
Khalil’s next hearing will determine whether the Trump administration can proceed with its deportation attempt. His legal team continues to fight for his release, while civil rights groups, student activists, and progressive lawmakers are demanding broader action against Trump’s use of immigration enforcement as a political weapon.
As Jewish Voice for Peace warned:
“This is how fascism works and the only defense is to refuse to be divided or silenced.”
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