Only handful of US Democrats call for release of pro-Palestine student

Only 14 Democrats in the US Congress have signed a letter calling for the release of Palestinian student-activist and Green Card holder Mahmoud Khalil.

Kahlil was detained at Columbia University over leading the 2024 solidarity protests in support of the Gaza Strip.

“We are horrified by the recent illegal abduction and now indefinite detention of Mahmoud Khalil—a US legal permanent resident—by Department of Homeland Security agents, and we unequivocally demand his immediate release from DHS custody,” they wrote in a letter on Tuesday.

The congressional Democrats went on to say that “Khalil has not been charged or convicted of any crime,” stressing that as the administration of US President Donald Trump proudly admits, “he was targeted solely for his activism and organizing.”

“We must be extremely clear: this is an attempt to criminalize political protest and is a direct assault on freedom of speech of everyone in this country,” they added.

Homeland Security agents arrest pro-Palestinian student from Columbia University

US immigration agents detain a prominent pro-Palestinian Columbia University student.

Mahmoud Khalil was detained on Saturday at his university-owned apartment block from Columbia’s Manhattan campus in New York City, sparking a wave of criticism from legal experts and human rights advocates.

However, the fact that only 14 congressional Democrats have felt compelled enough to publicly support Khalil has raised questions as to why more Democrats are not speaking up against his arrest.

Trump has vowed to deport foreign students and imprison “agitators” involved in protests against the Israeli genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

Khalil was a prominent figure in last year’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia, which became a national flashpoint amid widespread protests against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

He played a key role in negotiations between protesters and university officials before graduating with a master’s degree in December, making him a known figure.

Despite his legal status as a green card holder, which grants him permanent residency in the US, Khalil was detained in a manner that his legal team has challenged as unlawful.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has denounced as “lawless” the Department of Homeland Security's decision to arrest Khalil because of his “peaceful anti-genocide activism,” saying it represents “a blatant attack on the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, immigration laws, and the very humanity of Palestinians."

New York protest against Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest

New Yorkers protest against Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest.

On Monday, US District Judge Jesse M. Furman temporarily blocked Khalil from being deported, saying he will remain in the US as the court weighs challenges to his arrest and planned deportation.

The judge's decision came as several hundred protesters massed in Lower Manhattan to demand the release of Khalil.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, but Khalil won't be present, according to his legal team.

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