Approximately one year after federal immigration agents initially seized Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil and held him without formal charges, the pro-Palestinian activist is now calling on Americans from all political backgrounds to safeguard the First Amendment against the Trump administration's attempts to suppress it.
Detention and Advocacy
Khalil authored an opinion piece published on Wednesday by Fox News, recounting how he, as a green card holder, was forcibly separated from his pregnant wife in March 2025 due to his involvement in organizing nonviolent campus protests for Palestine—an exercise of his First Amendment rights. "Throughout my 104 days in federal detention, during which I missed the birth of my first child, I considered myself a political prisoner," he wrote. "The government had deprived me of my liberty, not because I had broken any laws, but because it didn't like what I had to say."
Legal Battles and Broader Implications
Although Khalil was eventually released and has previously detailed the inhumane conditions endured by him and other immigrants in detention, the Trump administration persists in legal efforts to deport him and fellow pro-Palestinian activists like Leqaa Kordia. "The Supreme Court recognized eighty years ago that the First Amendment protects all of us in the United States—citizens and noncitizens alike—from government persecution for our beliefs," he emphasized.
Khalil further argued, "If we allow that boundary to be violated for noncitizens, or when the government claims a foreign policy concern, a precedent is created that can be used against all of us. Even citizens. Even people who disagree with me vehemently about Palestine."
Support from New York City Leadership
Khalil has garnered backing from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who recently hosted the activist and his wife, Noor, for an iftar meal during Ramadan. Khalil noted that Mamdani was the first elected official to advocate for his freedom, and the mayor has since urged the president to dismiss the case against him. "Mahmoud is a New Yorker, and belongs in New York City," Mamdani stated on social media. When questioned about the optics of sharing iftar with Khalil, the mayor affirmed that it is crucial "every New Yorker know that I will stand up for their right to exercise their First Amendment rights."
Strategic Outreach and Warnings
Khalil is experienced in utilizing international media to illustrate how his detention experience signals broader systemic issues, such as government corruption, the dehumanization of immigrants, the U.S. detention system, and threats to the First Amendment. His unexpected decision to write for a major right-wing outlet like Fox News suggests an effort to engage audiences beyond his core supporters, cautioning Americans that their rights could become the administration's next target, irrespective of political stance.
"Our basic rights don't have a party affiliation, and my case should concern every American," Khalil told HuffPost on Thursday. "This message needs to reach everyone, not just the people who already agree with me. I will continue to use my voice whenever and wherever I can to stand up for our rights, for justice and for Palestine."
