Join the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in urging your members of Congress to demand that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately release anti-genocide activist Mahmoud Khalil.
Take Action: Time is Running Out—Contact Your Members of Congress Now!
A recent Columbia University graduate and lawful permanent resident of Palestinian heritage, Khalil was taken into custody on Saturday at his university-owned apartment—without any criminal charges—where he lives with his American wife, who is eight months pregnant.
According to Newsweek, ICE agents claimed the State Department revoked his student visa, using this as the sole justification for his detention. However, CAIR notes that typically, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, handles matters related to green card status.
Following the arrest,DHS nonsensically posted on Xthat Mahmoud was detained for “activities aligned to Hamas,” possibly in reference to him leading anti-genocide protests on Columbia’s campus – free speech activities protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Reuters reports: “Neither department [DHS or ICE] has said Khalil is accused of giving material support to Hamas, or of any other crime.“
Mahmoud’s attorneyAmy Greer told the Associated Press: “We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained. This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.”
While earning his degree from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, Mahmoud volunteered as a student mediator between anti-genocide demonstrators and university officials during tent encampment protests. He was also actively involved in the Columbia University Apartheid Divest campaign.
In a statement, CAIR posted on X:
“Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of our nation who has not been charged with or convicted of a single crime. The Department of Homeland Security’s lawless decision to arrest him solely because of his peaceful anti-genocide activism represents a blatant attack on the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech, immigration laws, and the very humanity of Palestinians. We and other civil rights groups are in communication with Mahmoud’s legal counsel. This fight is just starting.”
For the past several weeks pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian social media accounts have targeted Mahmoud by demanding the Trump administration investigate and revoke Mahmoud’s residential status.
On Friday, CAIR condemned the Trump administration’s AI-infused “Catch and Revoke” visa programas a direct assault on free speech and an overt attempt to stifle rightful criticism of Israel’s genocidal treatment of Palestinians.
Under this new initiative, Axios reports that the State Department — working alongside the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security — will reportedly use artificial intelligence to monitor the social media accounts of foreign nationals (prospective and current students, as well as worker visa holders) for any expressions critical of Israel’s actions in Palestinian territories. CAIR warns that such monitoring seeks to punish constitutionally protected speech and is designed to create a chilling effect on individuals raising awareness about human rights abuses in Palestine.
Last week, CAIR also condemned an unconstitutional threat by President Donald Trump to punish anti-genocide student protesters and academic institutions that allow “illegal” protests. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on [sic] on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Last year, CAIR released ‘Hostile’: How Universities Target Anti-Genocide Protesters, detailing unprecedented efforts across the country to suppress students from advocating for Palestinians.
In January, CAIR announced the launch of a dedicated webpage, titled “Hostile Campuses,” as part of its “Unhostile Campus Campaign” aimed at fostering a campus environment in which Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, faculty, and staff opposing the genocide in Gaza enjoy free speech and academic freedom and are not subjected to state force or university discipline due to their viewpoints.
Students, staff, and faculty who wish their university or college campus could be potentially designated as a hostile campus should complete the ‘Report a Hostile Campus’ form. This form is intended solely to inform CAIR’s ‘UnHostile Campus Campaign.’ Individuals seeking CAIR’s legal and advocacy services should contact their local office or chapter, or if there is no local chapter, file a formal report with CAIR’s National Civil Rights Department.
END
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw, 202-999-8292, rmccaw@cair.com, CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, csaylor@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com