Political Prisoner Mahmoud Khalil Speaks Out from U.S. Detention
Louisiana (Quds News Network)- Anti-genocide Palestinian activist and U.S. green card holder Mahmoud Khalil has spoken out from immigration detention in Louisiana, stressing that he is a political prisoner. In a letter published by The Guardian, Khalil described harsh conditions and noted that U.S. authorities are targeting him for his advocacy.
Khalil was detained on March 8 by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents who refused to provide a warrant, according to Khalil’s letter. The agents confronted him and his wife as they returned from dinner.
Video footage of the kidnapping has since been made public. Khalil says he was handcuffed, placed in an unmarked car, and denied information about his charges or legal status for hours. He was later transferred between detention centers in New York and New Jersey before arriving in Louisiana.
New footage reveals the moment ICE plainclothes agents arrested Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from his apartment in Manhattan.
His wife, who is eight months pregnant, recorded his arrest, while the agents refused to provide information and… pic.twitter.com/haz1fWsRJy
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 15, 2025
In his letter, Khalil linked his detention to his activism for Palestinian rights. He has been vocal in calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza, which resumed this week following Israel’s violation of a ceasefire. “I am being targeted for exercising my right to free speech,” he wrote, comparing his detention to Israel’s practice of administrative detention—holding Palestinians without trial or charges.
Born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil has spent his life displaced. He sees his case as part of a broader crackdown on Palestinian activism in the U.S. He specifically blamed Columbia University leaders for enabling his targeting by disciplining pro-Palestinian students and disclosing student records to federal authorities. “My arrest and the expulsion of students at Columbia are part of the same effort to silence dissent,” he wrote.
Khalil warned that his case signals a dangerous precedent for political repression. “The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent,” he stated. He urged students, advocates, and elected officials to stand up for civil liberties and the right to protest.
Despite his detention, Khalil remains hopeful. He expressed his desire to witness the birth of his first child and reaffirmed his commitment to Palestinian liberation. “Students have always led the charge for justice. This movement will not be silenced.”
His case has drawn growing attention, with human rights advocates calling for his release and denouncing the unjust crackdown on political speech under the pretext of fighting antisemitism.
