Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil recently spoke out on CNN, sharing his experiences after being detained by immigration authorities for over three months during the Trump administration. He expressed concerns that authorities aimed to use him as an “example.”
“It’s absurd. It’s really a threat to me. They’re trying to link our calls for Palestinian rights with outright terrorism,” Khalil, a green card holder and former Columbia student, told Christian Amanpour.
Khalil was arrested in early March and held for more than 100 days without being charged with any crime. His detention was part of a larger effort to clamp down on foreign students protesting the Israeli-Hamas conflict at universities.
“The protest was entirely peaceful. We were merely asking for accountability regarding the U.S. involvement in the ongoing violence in Columbia and Gaza,” he remarked. “That’s why I interpret these accusations as threats.”
He added, “What happened to me and others sends a clear message: even legal residents or citizens are not safe from retaliation.”
Khalil’s legal team filed a $20 million claim against the administration, alleging that he faced political backlash due to his activism.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson mentioned to Axios that Khalil has been “consistently engaged in activities harmful to American foreign policy.”
In a recent interview, Khalil described his experience in custody in Louisiana, saying, “I was always restrained, hands and ankles. It made me feel like a criminal. I had no idea what the charges were. By the time I got to Louisiana, my legs were so swollen that I could barely walk into the detention facility.”
He described the situation as deeply inhumane for someone who hadn’t even been charged with a crime.
Khalil also spoke about the birth of his son this spring, which he called “the most difficult moment of my life.” He was denied temporary leave to see his newborn and reflected on the emotional conflict: “I felt a mixture of anger and happiness. Holding my son for the first time was fulfilling, but it’s heartbreaking that the system kept me away during such a crucial moment.”
