Washington, DC – Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia College protest chief focused for deportation by President Donald Trump, has met with lawmakers in Washington, DC.
The go to on Tuesday comes simply greater than a month after the 30-year-old, a authorized everlasting resident of the USA, was launched from immigration custody in Louisiana.
“I’m right here in Washington, DC, in the present day to satisfy with lawmakers, with members of Congress, to demand the tip of the US-funded genocide in Gaza, and in addition to demand accountability from Columbia College, from the Trump administration for his or her retaliation in opposition to my speech,” mentioned Khalil in a video interview with the information company Reuters.
“To be trustworthy, I really feel that that is my obligation to proceed advocating for Palestinians. That is what the Trump administration tried to do. They tried to silence me. However I’m right here to say that we are going to proceed to withstand. We’re not backing down.”
Khalil continues to face deportation underneath the Trump administration, which has relied on an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 in its makes an attempt to expel worldwide college students concerned in pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Below the legislation, the secretary of state can expel a overseas nationwide if their presence within the nation is deemed to have “probably critical hostile overseas coverage penalties for the USA”, though the usual for making that willpower stays unclear.
I met with Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian scholar at Columbia College, who was imprisoned for 104 days by the Trump administration for opposing Netanyahu’s unlawful & horrific conflict in Gaza. Outrageous.
We should not enable Trump to destroy the First Modification & freedom to dissent. pic.twitter.com/2iaIi8dUWF
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 22, 2025
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and immigration officers have repeatedly portrayed Khalil’s advocacy as anti-Jewish and supportive of Hamas, however they’ve failed to supply proof backing these claims.
Attorneys for Khalil and three different college students focused for deportation by the Trump administration — Mohsen Mahdawi, Rumeysa Ozturk and Badar Khan Suri — have argued that their arrests trample on the constitutionally protected freedom of speech.
A number of district judges have sided with that place in ordering the scholars’ launch from custody as their instances proceed in immigration court docket.
Earlier this month, Khalil, who missed the start of his son whereas detained, filed a lawsuit in opposition to the Trump administration alleging malicious prosecution, in addition to false arrest and imprisonment. He’s looking for $20m in damages or an apology from the federal government.
US Senator Bernie Sanders was among the many lawmakers who met with Khalil on Tuesday.
“We should not enable Trump to destroy the First Modification & freedom to dissent,” Sanders mentioned in a submit on the social media platform X, accompanied by a photograph with Khalil.
Mahmoud Khalil is a form, mild soul who cares deeply about others’ humanity, and his abduction, detention, and ongoing persecution by the Trump Admin is egregious.
I’m deeply relieved that he has been reunited along with his spouse and his toddler son. Our assembly in the present day was fortifying… pic.twitter.com/HgWWkTafPw
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) July 22, 2025
Khalil additionally met with Congress members Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Jim McGovern, Troy Carter and Summer time Lee.
“Mahmoud Khalil is a form, mild soul who cares deeply about others’ humanity, and his abduction, detention, and ongoing persecution by the Trump Admin is egregious,” Pressley wrote in a submit on X.
“Our assembly in the present day was fortifying and productive.”
In its personal social media message on Tuesday, the Division of Homeland Safety as soon as once more known as Khalil a “terrorist sympathiser”, accusing him of anti-Jewish “hateful conduct and rhetoric”.
Nevertheless, forward of his launch in June, federal Choose Michael Farbiarz mentioned he had given the administration legal professionals ample time to assist the general public statements made in opposition to Khalil. He mentioned they failed to take action.
“The petitioner’s profession and popularity are being broken and his speech is being chilled,” Farbiarz wrote on the time. “This provides as much as irreparable hurt.”
