Mahmoud Khalil
According to the congressional letter, Khalil was detained when two plainclothes Department of Homeland Security agents entered into his apartment and took him into custody without presenting a warrant or filed charges.
The congressional representatives—including Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)—characterized Khalil's detention as an "attempt to criminalize political protest" and a "direct assault on freedom of speech" particularly concerning in an academic setting.
"Khalil has not been charged or convicted of any crime. As the Trump Administration proudly admits, he was targeted solely for his activism and organizing as a student leader and negotiator for the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Columbia University's campus," the members wrote in their letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The case raises significant questions about free speech protections on college campuses and the rights of international students and residents engaged in political activism. The congressional representatives, all Democrats, described the detention as an act of "anti-Palestinian racism intended to silence the Palestine solidarity movement in this country."
The letter alleges that ICE agents initially claimed the State Department had revoked Khalil's student visa. When informed by Khalil's attorney that he was a permanent resident with a green card, the agents reportedly stated his green card was being revoked instead.
