Judge halts deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khali, wife pleads for his release
Protesters demand release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil (Photo: Getty Images)
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil after his arrest by immigration authorities, a case that has sparked nationwide protests and legal challenges, NBC News reports.
Khalil’s wife described the arrest, saying ICE agents confronted them as they returned home from an Iftar meal.
“We were not shown any warrant, and the ICE officers hung up the phone on our lawyer,” she said. She was ordered to go upstairs or face arrest while agents took Khalil away in an unmarked vehicle.
Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and green card holder, was detained despite his legal residency status. His attorney, Amy Greer, argued that the arrest was politically motivated.
“He was targeted to silence lawful dissent, in direct violation of the First Amendment,” she said.
Protests escalate as legal fight continues
The arrest of the Palestinian activist in the US has led to demonstrations in cities across the country, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
“Students and faculty nationwide are walking out today to demand Mahmoud Khalil’s release,” said the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
President Donald Trump called Khalil’s arrest “the first of many,” while officials accused him of ties to a designated terrorist organization - claims that remain unproven. His legal team, backed by the ACLU, argues the detention was “an unlawful crackdown on free speech.”
As protests grow, Khalil remains in custody, while his wife, who is eight months pregnant, pleads for his release, saying she cannot face the birth of their first child alone after her husband, a Palestinian activist arrested in the US, was taken from their home.
