March 11, 2025 from Havana
Palestinian Student Activist Mahmoud Khalil
In a major escalation of its repression against the movement for Palestine, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the US is threatening to deport a Palestinian activist who is a U.S. resident. We republish a petition demanding his release. – Network in Defense of Humanity – Cuba
In the context of a dramatic increase in the persecution of the movement in solidarity with the Palestinian people, in recent weeks we have seen expulsions and threats of deportation against students. Yesterday Palestinian graduate and activist from Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil, was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security (ICE) and remains in custody following an order from the White House to target foreign students for their participation in the movement against the genocide in Palestine.
From Left Voice, we want to highlight this escalation in repression; we reproduce the following statement published by Deportation Defense that demands Khalil’s release. In Left Voice, we are convinced that an attack against one of us is an attack against all of us and that we cannot allow the state to violate our most basic democratic rights. We want to encourage professors, staff, faculty, students, and unions to stand behind the students and against repression but we believe that the best way to do this is to build a movement from the campuses — made up of faculty, staff, students, and their communities to stop Trump’s attacks on democratic rights and the universities.
Demand the Immediate Release of Palestinian Student Activist Mahmoud Khalil from DHS detention
On the evening of March 8, 2025, Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil was detained by the Department of Homeland Security. The arrest comes on the heels of the Department of State’s announcement that it plans to deport students affiliated with pro-Palestine protests. The student, who is Palestinian, is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
Columbia University, which recently published a new protocol on its plans to cooperate with ICE, has targeted Khalil for his Palestinian identity and outspoken activism on multiple occasions over the last 17 months. He served as a lead negotiator during the Gaza Solidarity Encampment last spring and has frequently appeared in media interviews and press conferences. Columbia’s continued acquiescence to federal agencies and outside partisan institutions has made this situation possible. Like many other Arab and Muslim students, Khalil has been the target of various zionist harassment campaigns, fueled by doxxing websites like Canary Mission. This racist targeting serves to instill fear in pro-Palestine activists as well as a warning to others. Add your name here to demand the immediate release of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil from DHS detention and a reversal to Columbia University’s protocol permitting ICE on campus without a warrant.