Who is Mahmoud Khalil? The pro-Palestinian activist fighting Trump-era deportation case

Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist from Columbia University, gained widespread recognition when the Trump administration arrested and moved to deport him, describing his protests as “anti-Semitic.” On October 17, a federal judge allowed Mahmoud Khalil to travel and speak at rallies and other events across the US while he fights his deportation case brought by the Trump administration. “He wants to travel for the very important First Amendment reasons that are at the bottom of this case,” said his attorney, Alina Das, adding, “He wants to speak about issues of public concern.” Who is Mahmoud Khalil? Mahmoud Khalil was a prominent figure at Columbia University’s protests against the war in Gaza. He was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 8. Mahmoud Khalil was born in Syria to Palestinian parents. However, he claimed to be from Tiberias – an Israeli city once known for its mixed Jewish and Arab community. During ‘The Nakba’ Palestinians were removed from the city. He completed a degree in computer science at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. After graduation, Khalil worked with the Syrian-American non-profit organization, Jusoor. At Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil studied Master of Public Administration and graduated in December 2024. He also oversaw the Syria Chevening Program at the British Embassy in Beirut, which provides scholarships for students to study in the UK. He is also a legal permanent resident of the US and married to a US citizen. Khalil has been described as the leader of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a group urging the university to divest from Israel and advocating a cease-fire in Gaza. He denied being a leader of the group. He said that he was merely working as a spokesperson for the protesters and a mediator at the university. After his arrest in March 2025, Mahmoud Khalil sued the Trump administration for $20 million, claiming he was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an anti-Semite. His arrest On the night of his arrest, he said he was on his way home from dinner with his wife, Noor Abdalla, when he was “effectively kidnapped” by civilian federal agents, who refused to provide a warrant and appeared surprised to learn he was a legal permanent resident of the US. After his arrest, Khalil was held at an immigration facility in Louisiana for three months before being released in June. Inside the prison, Mahmoud Khalil said he was denied his ulcer medication, forced to sleep under harsh fluorescent lights and fed “almost inedible” food, causing him to lose 15 pounds (7 kilograms). (With agency input)