Pro-Palestinian activist freed, vows continued activism

Mahmoud Khalil, a leading figure in the US pro-Palestinian campus protests, vowed to continue his activism after leaving federal detention, as reported by Al-Monitor via AFP on June 21st.

Supporters greeted him with cheers at Newark airport, where he said: “Even if they would kill me, I would still speak for Palestine.”

Khalil, a legal US resident born in Syria to Palestinian parents, spent 104 days in a Louisiana immigration detention centre. Authorities had held him since March while pursuing his deportation. But a judge ordered his release on bail, and Khalil walked free shortly after.

The Columbia University graduate emerged as a prominent organiser of student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Previously, over 130 international students came together in a lawsuit to accuse Trump of unlawfully cancelling their visas, The Arab Weekly plus agencies reported on April 29th.

But the Trump administration labelled Khalil a national security threat, claiming his presence could carry “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.”

Despite strict release conditions, which barred international travel except for self-deportation while limiting his domestic movement, Khalil pledged to remain vocal. “Just the fact I am here sends a message,” he said. “All these attempts to suppress pro-Palestine voices have failed now.”

Speaking beside him was his wife, Noor Abdalla, who gave birth to their son while Khalil was in custody, as well as Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “Mahmoud Khalil was imprisoned for 104 days… with no grounds and for political reasons, because Mahmoud Khalil is an advocate for Palestinian human rights,” Ocasio-Cortez stated. “This is not over, and we will have to continue to support this case.”

Khalil’s legal team warned that threats to his safety persist outside detention. His lawyer, Baher Azmy, said: “We are very mindful about his security, and the irony is that he is the one being persecuted. But he is committed to peace, and because he is rejecting US government policy he is under threat.”

Al-Monitor via AFP, The Arab Weekly plus agencies