In a harrowing journey from New York to Louisiana, Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University, was transported under circumstances that his legal representatives equate to kidnapping. His lawyers detailed the ordeal in an updated lawsuit submitted in Manhattan federal court, demanding his immediate release.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist vocal about his views, was reportedly flown to Louisiana by agents who failed to identify themselves according to his account. Upon his arrival, he spent the night in a bunker without basic amenities like a pillow or blanket, as officials lauded the effort to deport someone who had become a prominent figure in student protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The lawsuit emerged after a judge ordered that Khalil’s legal team be granted access to communicate with him, following his initial arrest on a Saturday. His treatment throughout the process reminded him of his escape from Syria, where he left after friends were forcibly disappeared during a turbulent period of arbitrary detentions in 2013.
Earlier in the week, President Donald Trump had publicly commended Khalil’s arrest, claiming it was the beginning of “many to come,” targeting students he accused of engaging in activities he termed “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American.” Khalil’s detention was argued by federal lawyers to be lawful under provisions allowing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to remove individuals from the U.S. if they pose serious foreign policy risks.
Trump and Rubio have since been named as defendants in the lawsuit seeking Khalil’s release. Government attorneys have requested that the suit be dismissed or moved to jurisdictions in New Jersey or Louisiana, where Khalil has been detained.
Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident with no criminal record, was apprehended by federal agents as he returned to his university housing with his wife after dining with friends. Although confronted by Homeland Security agents, Khalil managed a brief call with his lawyer before his transfer to FBI headquarters in Manhattan, during which he reportedly witnessed an agent relaying inquiries from the White House.
Following this, early Sunday saw Khalil shackled and transported to a detention center in New Jersey. He spent the night there in discomfort, denied even a blanket in the cold waiting room. Despite reaching the processing line, immigration authorities informed him he would instead be moved elsewhere.
Subsequent transfers placed Khalil on flights from Kennedy International Airport to Dallas, and then on to Alexandria, Louisiana, concluding with a custody transfer to a detention facility in Jena, Louisiana. Khalil’s worries encompass not only his detention but also the well-being of his pregnant wife and the potential of missing his child’s birth. He was anticipating starting a job with health benefits crucial for the child’s early life.
The lawsuit emphasizes Khalil’s commitment to political speech advocating for Palestinian rights globally, highlighting his plans to participate in a discussion panel related to a documentary debuting in Copenhagen, Denmark, in which he features. During a Wednesday hearing, his attorneys expressed frustration over denied communication with Khalil since his arrest, only being assured a conversation in the coming days, as directed by Judge Jesse M. Furman.
