Lawyers representing Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old Palestinian activist and recent Columbia University graduate, appeared in court to challenge his March 8 arrest.
President Donald Trump recently signed executive orders aiming to combat antisemitism and terrorism, stating that Khalil’s arrest is the first of many. Protestors gathered outside the courthouse in Foley Square, rallying in support of Khalil.
“And now they are after and undermining the most basic principles of our democracy, which is you do not abduct people because you do not agree with their opinions,” said Lyn Paltrow, a protestor and lawyer. “That is what they have done with Mr. Khalil, and they can do it to any of us.”
A US district court judge is temporarily blocking his deportation, saying the court would weigh challenges to his arrest. Khalil is a green card holder who led protests at the Columbia campus last year. He is currently being held in an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
“Once I saw that it was a resident green card holder that was being detained and trying to be deported, it was clearly that they are transgressing some of the amendments,” said Paul Jogia, an attendee of the protest. “The law seems to slowly be blurred.”
Citing a provision within immigration law to justify their actions, federal agents were found arresting Khalil from his university owned housing. Trump is saying Khalil has led protests harassing Jewish-American students.
“If you are opposing Zionism, you are opposing Jews, you are antisemitic,” said Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of the Neturei Kantra International Jews United Against Zionism. “That is an insult to common sense, to fact, and it hurts and it causes antisemitism and it causes a hate of Jews if you conflate the two.”
Since his arrest, Khalil’s lawyers continue to fight on his behalf, in particular, trying to relocate him back to New York. His wife, an American citizen, is eight months pregnant.
Following Trump’s statement about Khalil’s arrest, several students are being detained by federal agents. Protests continue as Khalil’s case is ongoing, and people continue to take to the streets in support of people like Mahmoud Khalil.
