Mahmoud Khalil, a US student arrested for his involvement in protests against Israel at Columbia University, has spoken out for the first time since his detention, condemning his arrest as an example of “anti-Palestinian racism” and part of a broader effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices in the United States.

In a letter released by his lawyers, Khalil, who describes himself as a “political prisoner,” called his arrest and the subsequent transfer to Louisiana politically motivated.

Writing from a detention center in Louisiana, Khalil criticized both the Trump and Biden administrations for suppressing Palestinian activism while continuing to provide Israel with military support.

Khalil stated that his unjust detention reflects the anti-Palestinian racism demonstrated by the Biden and Trump administrations, citing the ongoing US supply of weapons to Israel and the suppression of international intervention.

Khalil was arrested on 8 March by agents from the Department of Homeland Security, who he claims refused to provide a warrant and threatened to detain his wife.

Initially held in Manhattan, Khalil was transferred to a detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he slept on the floor without a blanket.

The Justice Department claimed that his transfer to Louisiana was due to overcrowding and a bedbug infestation at the Elizabeth facility, but his lawyers dismissed this as “predetermined and carried out for improper motives.”

Khalil’s legal team has filed an appeal, arguing that his arrest violated his First Amendment rights and requesting that the US government be barred from detaining or deporting foreigners for engaging in constitutionally protected speech in support of Palestine.

Khalil, born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, drew parallels between his detention and Israel’s use of administrative detention to hold Palestinians without charge or trial.

He accused Columbia University administrators of enabling his targeting by disciplining pro-Palestinian students and allowing viral doxxing campaigns based on racism and disinformation.

Despite his detention, Khalil remains optimistic, viewing the student movement as central to the Palestinian liberation struggle.

He warned that visa holders, green card holders, and even US citizens could be targeted for their political beliefs, emphasizing that not just their voices but the fundamental civil liberties of all are at stake.

Khalil urged students, activists, and lawmakers to unite in defending the right to protest for Palestine.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/19/detained-columbia-university-student-calls-arrest-anti-palestinian-racism