New video footage shows the moment leading to the arrest of Colombian student activist Mahmoud Khalil
The new video footage shows the moment when Colombian student activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested on March 8 by a US immigration and customs enforcement agent.
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- Immigration agents arrested Halil, a green cardholder who married an American citizen on March 8th in the lobby of a student apartment in Manhattan.
- The Department of Homeland Security is attempting to deport Halil, claiming that his pro-Palestinian activism threatens the interests of US foreign policy.
- He will remain in a Louisiana detention facility and will appear in immigration court on May 22nd.
Claire Shipman’s acting president at Columbia University faced loudly booing and a “free mahmoud” chant at the opening ceremony on May 20th, and stopped her speech as students continued to detain their peers and expressed anger.
Filmed in a post shared across social media, the scene interrupts Shipman’s speech as students from undergraduate liberal arts Columbia College called for student activist Mahmoud Khalil to be released. Others can be heard screaming, “You’ve arrested us,” hinting that the university is calling on police to disband student protests.
Immigration agents arrested Halil, a green cardholder who married an American citizen on March 8th in the lobby of a student apartment in Manhattan. The Department of Homeland Security is attempting to deport Halil, claiming that his pro-Palestinian activism threatens the interests of US foreign policy.
He will remain in a Louisiana detention facility and will appear in immigration court on May 22nd.
“Illegal” arrest video
Assistant Chief Immigration Jamie Comans ruled on April 11 that the Trump administration could move forward with efforts to deport Halil.
Khalil’s lawyers said they submitted a new request to the judge that they would withdraw the U.S. government case, citing new video evidence showing his arrest was illegal.
Halil’s lawyers said the US immigration customs enforcement agent initially had a warrant on the arrest report. Government lawyers later admitted in court filings that they had no warrants, but argued that they were not needed due to the “extigent tension situation.” They wrote that Halil was a “flight risk” and “it’s likely that he will escape before he gets a warrant.”
Surveillance footage and previously released videos contradict each other, the Halil legal team said. The video shows Halil quietly speaking with the agent and not trying to work together to leave.
“The footage released today of Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest was not clear. The Trump administration’s claim that Khalil resisted the arrest is false,” said Amorsinha, executive director of the ACLU in New Jersey. “His illegal arrest is the result of deliberate federal targeting in retaliation for his defense of Palestinian rights.”
This video was obtained through a subpoena sent to Columbia University. It supports previous statements and video footage shot by Khalil’s wife Noor Abdallah.
Halil is also filing a federal lawsuit before US District Court for the District of New Jersey, claiming that his detention violates his constitutional rights of constitutional speech and legitimate processes. The lawsuit was filed in New Jersey as Halil was detained there prior to his transfer to the Louisiana immigration detention center.
US lawsuit against Mahmoud Khalil
Khalil, a Palestinian born and raised in Syria, has not been charged with crimes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in a letter to the court that he presented it as evidence. He argued that their beliefs, statements, or associations have the authority to expel non-citizens who pose the interests of foreign policy, even if they are “otherwise legal.”
Rubio also claimed that Halil had participated in “anti-Semitic protests and destructive activities” that “undermine the US efforts to combat anti-Semiticism.”
Khalil was a student negotiator and spokesman for protesters in Colombia in the spring of 2024. He and his lawyers are challenging the anti-Semitism allegations. They argue that the Trump administration is trying to silence criticism of Israel and misconstruing pro-Palestinian activity with anti-Semitism. Colombian Jewish students have written to the court saying that Khalil supported and defended them.
Lack of graduation
The Halil incident was the first of several well-known cases in which pro-Palestinian student activists were detained by immigration authorities and targeted deportation.
A federal judge released several students on bail, including Mohsen Mahdawi, a Colombian activist who was detained by ICE in a citizenship interview in April. Mahdawi graduated on May 19, wore a kefier and received a standing ovation as he flashed the peace symbol to the crowd.
Halil, who missed the birth of his first child last month, will also miss the opening ceremony in Columbia on May 21st. He received his master’s degree from the International Public Service School in December.
On May 18, his wife, Abdallah, hugged her son Dean and accepted a diploma on his behalf at an alternative “Graduation of People” ceremony. The ceremony was held by the People’s University of Palestinian, a coalition of student organizations defending Palestinian rights.
Abdallah read a message from Khalil. “Thank you for taking me in my heart today. It’s been two months since I was taken by my family and you, and I’ve been detained to tell you the truth about Palestine,” she reads from the statement.
“Columbia University, the place where we sought knowledge, justice and truth, chose silence instead of solidarity. It made me fail, but you didn’t show up.
“I am endlessly proud to be within you. I carry your love with me every day,” read Abdallah. “Continue carrying mine.”
