In the first publicly known implementation of Trump’s policy to deport Palestine solidarity activists, Mahmoud Khalil has been threatened with the revoking of his green card.
Khalil, a permanent resident of the US, has not been charged with or convicted of any criminal offences. He has been targeted due to his participation in protest at Columbia University, New York – from which Khalil is a graduate – against the institution’s complicity in Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation.
Mahmoud’s wife, a US citizen who is eight month’s pregnant was also threatened with arrest when immigration agents came to their home to arrest Mahmoud on Saturday 8 March.
Mahmoud has since been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They have refused to tell his wife where he is being held, with possibilities ranging from New Jersey on the east coast to Louisiana in the south..
Following mass outcries of support for Mahmoud, his deportation has been postponed until a court hearing takes place – scheduled for tomorrow Wednesday 12 March at 11:30 EDT (15:30 GMT).
If Mahmoud’s residency in the US is revoked, despite being charged with no crime, it will set a dangerous precedent not only in America, but everywhere. This case shows the willingness of reactionary forces to bend and rewrite laws at their own whims, and reasserts their complete disregard for the democratic rights of assembly, protest and free speech.
All anti-imperialists and people of conscience must stand with Mahmoud against this brutal state repression. At time of writing, the petition for his immediate release sits at over 2 million signatures, you can add your name here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/demand-the-immediate-release-of-columbia-student-pro-palestine-advocate-mahmoud-khalil-from-dhs-detention
At home, three student activists are still facing bogus charges following a Palestine solidarity protest in Queen’s University Belfast in November 2024.
For more information about the campaign to have their charges dropped; and how to support the three students by writing to the Public Prosecution Service (Belfast) follow @qub3solidarity on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and BlueSky or learn more about the campaign here: https://cym.ie/campaigns/support-the-qub-3/