On Saturday, March 8, student protester and green card holder Mahmoud Khalil was detained. As a green card holder, Khalil is considered a legal, permanent resident of the United States, deeming his entitlement to all rights and liberties of U.S. Citizens, according to the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services Office.
An administered green card can be revoked, but only through criminal charges or terrorist-supportive activity. If revoked, the holder must follow the standard deportation procedures to their country of origin. But even then, while government officials can provide reasoning for deportation, only immigration judges can determine whether deportation occurs, NPR reported. Yet when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Khalil outside his Columbia University apartment, they claimed that his green card was revoked (after initially stating that it was his no longer active student visa), despite the student having no record of criminal charges or terrorist activity.
So, why was Khalil arrested in his Manhattan home and sent to a detention center in Louisiana? And what does this mean for the future of green card holders?
Khalil’s History as an Emigrant & Advocate
Before diving into all of that, let’s look into Khalil’s journey to the United States. Born and raised in Syria, Khalil is of Palestinian descent, with his grandparents’ lineage originating in Tiberias, a town that now belongs to Israel. Due to the growing political tensions and infiltration of their hometown, the family was forced to move, according to the New York Times. Khalil arrived in the U.S. on a student visa in 2022 and received his green card in 2024. During that time, Khalil married an American citizen, Noor Abdalla, after seven years together and recently earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs this past December. Abdalla is eight months into her pregnancy, expecting the couple’s first child.
About a year ago, Khalil started leading negotiations with the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group and school officials, with the group calling on the university to divest from Israel. In addition to this, Khalil also had a history of participating in peaceful protests in support of Palestine across campus. This, ICE officials and political leaders claim, led to his arrest and detention. But how? If permanent residents have the same liberties as citizens, doesn’t Khalil have the same freedoms of speech and protest as outlined in the First Amendment?
The answer is yes. Although green card holders are not citizens, they have First Amendment rights. So why was Khalil detained? Since the Oct. 7 attacks in 2023, many politicians, especially conservatives, have considered supporters of Palestine both pro-terrorist and anti-Semitic. NPR reported that the spokeswoman of the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, said Khalil’s arrest was based on an executive order preventing anti-Semitism signed by President Donald Trump and that Khalil “Led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.”
Adding to the commentary, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press conference that “pro-Hamas propaganda fliers” were handed out at protests Khalil was involved in. However, these claims hold no truth, as there is no reported evidence that Khalil took part in producing and distributing any of these fliers or that he ever communicated with Hamas.
The risk of Unjust Deportation
Still, Khalil is not facing any charges in his civil trial, so is there a risk of him being deported? According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State, currently a position held by Marco Rubio, can deport anyone with whom he “has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” To Rubio, Khalil’s actions are anti-Semitic and, therefore, dangerous to the U.S.
In fact, in a press conference on his way to Ireland, Rubio dismissed Khalil’s efforts as instances of free speech but rather a risk to American autonomy. Completely misconstruing the circumstances of peaceful protest, Rubio is choosing to view such advocacy methods as a reason to deprive these citizens of their rights. As a result, this devalues their free will and pushes a stricter agenda on freedom of speech and a controlled narrative.
“This is about people that don’t have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card, by the way,”
Marco Rubio remarks to the press in Shannon, Ireland
Even more concerning, in a recent X post linking to an article about Khalil, Rubio stated, “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
President Trump posted on Truth Social that “ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas student on the campus of Columbia University.” This statement is defaming Khalil’s character and ultimately takes his morals out of proportion to his Palestinian patriotism. Trump continued to threaten anyone else adopting similar beliefs, adding, “This is the first arrest of many to come.”
Ironically, government officials could not offer any specific legal details of why exactly Khalil was arrested in the first place. In fact, during an NPR interview, the deputy secretary of the DHS, Troy Edgar, could not seem to explain what terrorist activity Khalil participated in and could not answer if criticisms of the Israeli or American governments, or if simply protesting at all, were deportable offenses.
The Status of Khalil’s Future
What is the legal battle here if the government does not charge Khalil? As mentioned earlier, Khalil’s case is a civil case based on a deportation proceeding. When arrested, one of his attorneys, Amy Greer, said that ICE officers could not give a reason for the arrest, and when asked to see the warrant, officers hung up the phone. This allowed Khalil’s team to file a habeas corpus petition, challenging the legality of his arrest and detention. After the petition was filed, “District Judge Jesse Furman ordered that Khalil ‘shall not be removed from the United States unless and until’ the court rules otherwise,” NPR reported.
On Wednesday’s federal hearing in New York, Khalil’s lawyers argued that the circumstances surrounding his arrest violated his First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and protest and his Fifth Amendment right of due process. However, as of now, Judge Furman is still considering whether Khalil’s arrest was constitutional and extended his order that Khalil not be deported, Reuters said.
Khalil’s legal team also filed a motion for his return to New York. After he was arrested, he was taken to New Jersey and then to a detention center in Louisiana shortly thereafter. His lawyers claimed it would allow easier access to their client and for Khalil to be with his wife, who is expected to give birth next month. They also claimed that they could not call Khalil, leading the judge to order they be allowed to make two phone calls to prepare for briefing deadlines.
When it came to the case’s location, however, it was still uncertain where the proceedings would continue. The government argues that the case should be held in New Jersey or Louisiana since the legal paperwork was filed while Khalil was in transit. Additionally, holding high-profile cases outside the original state is common to prevent bias. Still, others argue that it will just make it more difficult for Khalil to defend himself, given the distance and differences in political climates.
But what about Khalil’s green card? And what does it mean for others? The NYT said Khalil’s immigration status would have been decided in a separate court by an immigration judge. Regarding others, both the Secretary of State’s and the President’s comments have made it clear that anyone who is not a citizen is at risk for deportation when expressing support for Palestine.
However, since Khalil’s case is the first of its kind, no court precedent has yet been set. Still, in an interview with NPR, Greer mentions that although it is more difficult, it is still possible for there to be immigration consequences for naturalized citizens and possibly even U.S.-born citizens.
Since his arrest, many narratives have emerged that Khalil incited chaos and unsafety. Nevertheless, waves of support have come out for Khalil. Protests for his release have included people from various backgrounds, including Jewish allies. Jewish Voice for Peace protestors entered Trump Tower in New York City and demanded Khalil’s release.
Friends and family have also testified to his kindness, generosity, and dedication to his people. According to the NYT, Columbia classics professor Joseph Howley said, “This is someone who seeks mediated resolutions through speech and dialogue,” countering the dangerous depictions of Khalil.
In an earlier statement, Abdalla urged the public to show empathy for the soon-to-be father, hoping he can be released and reunited with his family again. According to Reuters, Abdalla revealed that Khalil has been helping other non-English-speaking detainees fill out their paperwork and is “standing up for his people, he’s fighting for his people.”