By: TJVNews.com

Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and prominent pro-Hamas activist, is fighting a high-profile deportation case after being detained by immigration authorities in early March — an arrest he described as an “abduction” in a defiant op-ed published Friday in The Columbia Spectator. As reported by NBC News on Saturday, Khalil remains in custody in Louisiana while his case progresses through the federal immigration system.

In his op-ed, titled “A Letter to Columbia”, Khalil alleged that his March 8 detention was part of a broader campaign of politically motivated intimidation targeting international students who have spoken out against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began in response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack, as noted in the NBC News report.

“Since my abduction on March 8, the intimidation and kidnapping of international students who stand for Palestine has only accelerated,” Khalil wrote in the op-ed, which was dictated and verified by his attorney, according to the information provided in the NBC News report.

Khalil, a lawful U.S. permanent resident holding a green card, rose to prominence as a vocal leader of pro-Hamas, anto-Israel campus protests at Columbia University. But his political activism has drawn the scrutiny of federal officials, who now seek to deport him under a provision of federal immigration law that allows for removal of noncitizens deemed threats to U.S. foreign policy.

Federal authorities claim Khalil was involved in organizing events “aligned to Hamas,” which is officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. NBC News reported, however, that Khalil has not been charged with any crime, and his attorneys insist there is no evidence that he ever provided material support to any terrorist organization.

His legal team argued that his detention violates his First Amendment rights, particularly the right to political speech, and say the government’s actions are based on his views and advocacy, not criminal behavior.

Khalil’s case is just one part of a sweeping crackdown on student activists spearheaded by the Trump administration and supported by key allies like Senator Marco Rubio, now serving as Secretary of State.

As NBC News reported, Rubio has been unapologetic in revoking visas and green cards from individuals he deems threats based on their political affiliations or public statements. “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said last month during a press conference in Guyana.

The State Department has revoked over 300 student visas, and several international students with no criminal charges — including doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk of Tufts University — now face possible deportation. Öztürk was one of several authors of a student op-ed calling on Tufts to label the war in Gaza a genocide.

The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Öztürk supported Hamas, though Tufts University responded that her speech was protected under university policy and that there was “no information suggesting” she violated immigration law. A federal judge has temporarily blocked Öztürk’s deportation, according to the information contained in the NBC News report.

In his op-ed, Khalil drew parallels between his current detention and the oppression he fled in Syria under Bashar al-Assad’s regime. He described the U.S. government’s treatment of him and other student activists as a disturbing echo of state repression.

“The situation is oddly reminiscent of when I fled the brutality of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and sought refuge in Lebanon,” he wrote.

The comment called attention to Khalil’s broader message: that free speech and dissent — especially on U.S. campuses — are under siege, particularly for international students voicing criticism of U.S. foreign policy or Israeli military actions.

Khalil’s detention and his message come at a time of deep institutional turmoil at Columbia University, which has been under intense scrutiny for its handling of violent pro-Hamas, pro-terror demonstrations and allegations of anti-Semitism.

As NBC News reported, President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik resigned in August following months of public and political pressure tied to the campus protests. Just last month, the Trump administration cut $400 million in federal funding to Columbia, citing what it called the university’s “inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”

The university has since agreed to a list of demands in hopes of restarting negotiations to reinstate its funding. Meanwhile, tensions remain high between the administration, student activists, and national political figures.

Despite his detention, Khalil used his platform in the Spectator to issue a rallying cry to students, urging them not to be silenced by fear or threats of legal retaliation.

“It is incumbent upon each of you to reclaim the University and join the student movement to carry forward the work of the past year,” he wrote, according to NBC News.

Khalil’s words serve as a political provocation, challenging what he and others see as an authoritarian use of immigration law to suppress dissent. As his case winds through the courts, its outcome may carry significant implications not only for Khalil and others like him, but for the boundaries of free speech and activism on U.S. campuses.

As reported by NBC News, the detention of Mahmoud Khalil and the broader crackdown on international students critical of U.S. allies has ignited fierce debate over free expression, political retaliation, and immigration enforcement. While the government insists it is targeting national security threats, activists and civil liberties groups warn that these actions may set a dangerous precedent — where voicing political opposition becomes grounds for removal.

Khalil, even from custody, is making sure that debate remains alive.