Detention of Mahmoud Khalil

Mahmoud Khalil is a student activist who was involved in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. Although he was a legal permanent resident in the United States and had been charged with no crime, he was arrested and sent to a detention center in Louisiana. He was imprisoned for 104 days, until a federal judge ruled that his detention was unconstitutional.

Khalil was taken from his apartment in New York City on March 8, 2025 by agents of the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).^[1][2][3][4] They told him the State Department had revoked his student visa. When they learned he was a permanent resident, they said that his status would be revoked too.^[4]

Khalil was sent to a detention center in Louisiana.^[5] He was imprisoned there for 104 days.^[6]

On April 11, 2025, an immigration judge ruled that Khalil could be deported, based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that Khalil’s presence is harmful to U.S. foreign policy.^[7] The judge said that she could not challenge that claim.

A federal court paused the deportation to review whether Khalil’s arrest and detention were legal.^[8] On June 11, 2025, federal judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Khalil’s detention violated the United States Constitution.^[9]

Khalil was set free "on bail" on June 21, 2025.^[10]

Khalil’s detention was criticized by lawyers, Democrats, and civil rights groups. These critics said that Khalil's imprisonment threatened free speech.^[4] They pointed out that Khalil was detained, but hadn't been charged with any crime.

To carry out deportations, the United States government is using a Cold War-era law that allows deportation if the Secretary of State believes someone’s presence harms U.S. foreign policy. Critics have compared the use of this law to McCarthyism.^[11]