Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, described his recent experience in immigration detention as ‘feeling like kidnapping’ in his first interview since being released. The legal U.S. resident was ordered released on bail following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz, who deemed it highly unusual to detain someone without serious charges or flight risk concerns. Khalil’s release came after a controversial immigration process that saw him detained, despite having no criminal record or risk of flight.
Khalil, who was arrested in March for his anti-Israel activism at Columbia University, expressed frustration with the immigration process, claiming that the ‘Know Your Rights’ information he studied was ineffective. He insisted that his pro-Palestine advocacy, which he described as a fight for Palestinian rights and an end to the genocide, was not antisemitic but rather a legitimate form of expression. Khalil criticized the judicial system, claiming that money dictates justice in the United States. ‘If you have money, there is rule of law,’ he said, adding that only those adhering to a narrow definition of ‘American values’ might receive due process and their rights.
The Department of Homeland Security has previously stated that Khalil did not disclose his employment with the Syrian office in the British Embassy in Beirut when applying for U.S. permanent residency. Immigration Judge Andrew T. Napolitano had ruled that Khalil could be deported based on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which labeled his campus protests as incompatible with U.S. foreign policy interests. This ruling sparked significant debate, with critics arguing that the administration’s approach to foreign policy and immigration is overly restrictive and punitive.
Rubio has defended the Trump administration’s actions, stating that anyone engaging in anti-Semitic activities should not be granted a visa to the U.S. Khalil, however, rejected this notion, saying, ‘What did I do that I’m a foreign policy threat to the United States? Did I, like, damage, the U.S.-Israeli relationship? Because it doesn’t appear so.’ Khalil’s case has become a focal point for discussions about free speech, immigration policies, and the intersection of foreign policy with domestic legal standards. His experience highlights the complex and often polarizing nature of these issues, both for the individual involved and the broader political landscape.