Mahmoud Khalil

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Judge: Mahmoud Khalil Must Be Deported

Columbia activist is accused of omissions on his green card application as his legal fight continues

(Newser) - A US immigration judge has ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestine activist known for his leadership in campus protests at Columbia University against Israel's military actions in Gaza. The order, issued by Judge Jamee Comans in Louisiana on Friday, directs Khalil—a Palestinian originally from Syria...

Khalil Files $20M Claim Over His ICE Detention

Columbia protest leader says he's seeking accountability from administration for a politically motivated imprisonment

(Newser) - Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protester detained by ICE for more than 100 days without being charged with a crime, filed a claim against the Trump administration on Thursday seeking $20 million in damages. The filing accuses the government of falsely imprisoned Khalil, maliciously prosecuting him, and smearing the legal...

Mahmoud Khalil Addresses Supporters, Describes Detention

The US permanent resident is back home, says detention 'felt like kidnapping'

(Newser) - Mahmoud Khalil gave his first interview since being released from ICE detention to the New York Times , and he tells the newspaper the moment he was taken into custody "felt like kidnapping." The 30-year-old Palestinian, a US permanent resident with a green card, was in the lobby of...

After 104 Days, Khalil Walks Free: 'Justice Will Prevail'

Columbia protester was released Friday; Trump administration has appealed ruling on his release

(Newser) - Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was released Friday from federal immigration detention, freed after 104 days by a judge's ruling after becoming a symbol of President Trump's clampdown on campus protests. The ex-Columbia University grad student left a federal facility in Louisiana on Friday, per the AP . He's...

Judge Rules Administration Must Free Mahmoud Khalil

Government can appeal, but student's lawyer calls it 'the most significant vindication yet of Mahmoud's rights'

(Newser) - A federal judge has ruled that the federal government must release Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University graduate student whom the Trump administration is trying to deport over his participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the AP reports. But Khalil, a legal US resident, will remain in custody until at least Friday...

Columbia's Acting President Booed During Grad Speech

Claire Shipman acknowledges students are 'frustrated' with the administration

(Newser) - The acting president of Columbia University was booed as she took the stage at the New York university's graduation ceremony Tuesday. Students also chanted "Free Mahmoud" during Claire Shipman's speech, CBS News and NBC News report. "I know that many of you feel some amount of...

Judge Releases Student Arrested at Naturalization Interview

Mohsen Mahdawi was arrested by ICE agents on April 14

(Newser) - A Columbia University student who was detained by immigration authorities on April 14 was released on bail Wednesday on a federal judge's orders. Mohsen Mahdawi was arrested by ICE agents at an immigration office in Colchester, Vermont, when he showed up for a naturalization interview. He is Palestinian, grew...

ICE Blocked Mahmoud Khalil From His Son's Birth

Columbia grad student is a new dad, but ICE rejected his request to witness firstborn's arrival in New York

(Newser) - Mahmoud Khalil is a new dad, but he'll have to wait to see his firstborn. The Columbia University grad student and legal permanent resident, who was detained in March by federal agents over his pro-Palestinian stance, missed his son's birth on Monday in New York after officials...

Another College Student Detained by ICE Officers
College Student Arrested
at Naturalization Interview
the rundown
Apr 15, 2025 12:37 PM CDT

College Student Arrested at Naturalization Interview

Mohsen Mahdawi led Palestinian protests at Columbia

(Newser) - Another college student who led pro-Palestinian protests has been detained by immigration officers. Lawyers for Mohsen Mahdawi were scrambling on Tuesday to prevent him from being deported to the West Bank, where he was born. Details:
  • Mahdawi was arrested Monday at an immigration office in Colchester, Vermont, when he showed
...

Judge: US Can Deport Columbia Protester

Mahmoud Khalil tells court that due process wasn't served

(Newser) - Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil can be kicked out of the US as a national security risk, an immigration judge in Louisiana found Friday during a hearing over the legality of deporting the activist who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The government's contention that Khalil's presence in the...

Judge: ICE Cannot Detain Columbia Student Protester

Yunseo Chung, 21, is fighting deportation efforts

(Newser) - A federal judge on Tuesday ordered that the Trump administration's attempts to arrest and deport a 21-year-old Columbia University student who participated in pro-Palestinian protests must cease. The judge found there to be no indication Yunseo Chung—a legal permanent resident who was arrested at a protest earlier this...

Columbia Chief 'Heartbroken' as DHS Agents Enter Dorms

Agents searched 2 student residences—and it's not the only university in the government's sights

(Newser) - As former Columbia University grad student Mahmoud Khalil fights the Trump administration's plans to deport him for his past pro-Palestine activism at the New York City institution, the school itself contended with more federal activity on campus this week. The New York Times reports that agents from the Department...

Mahmoud Khalil Will Remain Jailed in Louisiana

Judge says Columbia protest leader must be allowed to speak to his lawyers

(Newser) - Mahmoud Khalil will remain detained in Louisiana until at least next week but can finally speak to lawyers while they fight the Trump administration's plans to deport the Columbia University graduate student for his role in campus protests against Israel, a judge decided at a hearing Wednesday. The brief...

Columnist Likens Columbia Arrest to McCarthyism
Analysts Break Down
Controversial Columbia Arrest
the rundown
Mar 11, 2025 8:59 AM CDT

Analysts Break Down Controversial Columbia Arrest

One columnist draws a comparison to McCarthyism of the 1950s

(Newser) - The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil , a Syrian national who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University last year, has set off a furious debate about free-speech protections. Coverage:
  • Khalil was arrested by federal immigration agents in New York over the weekend and is believed to be detained in an immigration jail
...

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