Jewish Student Says Mahmoud Khalil Protected Them More Than Columbia

Jewish students are among those who provided sworn testimony to an immigration court in support of pro-Palestinian protester Mahmoud Khalil, who the Trump administration wants to see deported.

The written testimonies were made public for the first time in filings to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey on Thursday, with professors also showing their support for the green card holder, who remains in custody in Louisiana.

“This letter is the least I can do for someone who has always selflessly and courageously put others before himself,” the unnamed student wrote on March 14. “I can’t believe that it’s precisely because of these incredible qualities he is being punished in this way.

“Mahmoud has protected Jewish students at Columbia like myself more than the university ever has.”

Why It Matters

Khalil was arrested on March 8 on the grounds that his actions as a facilitator between pro-Palestinian protesters and the Ivy League school were antisemitic and did not match with U.S. foreign policy. He was among the first of hundreds of students, past and present, to have their immigration status revoked by the State Department.

What To Know

The letter is one of six filed by Khalil’s attorneys, following a request by U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz, who wanted to see any additional evidence filed in immigration court by both parties. His New Jersey courtroom is overseeing the case regarding Khalil’s detention, rather than his immigration status.

Names were redacted in court filings, but the Jewish students who wrote in support of Khalil all referenced ways in which he had supported them and the broader Jewish community over the past two years on and around the Columbia campus, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas raged.

One fellow Columbia graduate, who said they had known Khalil for two years, told the court that the Syrian national had shown compassion for Israelis in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attack, and expressed grief for the loss of life. A junior at the school described Khalil as a “selfless friend” who helped to lead peaceful, calm rallies in the early weeks of the war in late 2023.

“When people hurled insults and profanities at me and my classmates, Mahmoud was the first to step in and de-escalate the situation. He never raised his voice, never used harsh language, never resorted to aggression—he spoke calmly and respectfully, shielding students, including me, a Jewish student, from harm,” the junior wrote.

The comments come in contrast to the allegations made by the Trump administration, which has said Khalil’s views and rhetoric contradict U.S. foreign policy, providing grounds for removal, despite his permanent residency status.

Also among the filings on Thursday was a sworn statement from the Department of Homeland Security, outlining how its agents came to arrest Khalil. It revealed that agents arrived outside his home earlier on March 8, with the plan to conduct surveillance and understand his routine.

While Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents were observing him that day, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations informed them that a charge of removability had been filed against Khalil.

The first moment agents saw Khalil on the sidewalk, with his pregnant wife, an HSI agent got out of his vehicle and approached Khalil, asking for ID. When he showed a foreign driver’s license, the testimony said agents could have arrested him then for not carrying U.S. immigration papers. His wife was allowed to retrieve his green card, however.

DHS said in its statement that Khalil was considered a flight risk and that no warrant was needed because a removal order had already been issued. He was detained that same day and taken initially to an ICE detention facility in New Jersey before his transfer to Louisiana, where his immigration case is being heard.

Federal agents also detained Khalil’s friend and fellow pro-Palestinian advocate Mohsen Mahdawi in recent weeks. Other students across the country have also been detained or had their visas revoked for expressing similar viewpoints.

What People Are Saying

A Columbia graduate, in a letter to the immigration court: “ICE may attempt to use his participation in the Encampment protest against him, but that would be a complete distortion of reality. Mahmoud has actively included Jewish voices in conversations about Israel-Palestine.”

A lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, in a letter to the immigration court: “I can state with full confidence that Mahmoud has never expressed support for Hamas, nor has he ever endorsed any form of extremism. Over the course of our extensive interactions, I have had numerous conversations with him about human rights, justice, and the student protests and I can personally attest to his commitment to nonviolence.”

Numa Metoyer, deputy chief counsel for DHS, in a statement to the immigration court: “The respondent, though required, was not carrying his alien registration receipt card on his person. He refused to cooperate with the agents, even though they exercised discretion and decided not to arrest him on a misdemeanor charge for failure to possess his green card, which is punishable by a fine or imprisonment.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a memo determining revoking Khalil’s legal status: “These determinations are based on information provided by the DHS/ICE/HSI regarding the participation and roles of [redacted] and Khalil in antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.”

What Happens Next

Khalil remains in custody, where he has missed the birth of his first child. An immigration judge has determined him removable, while the New Jersey habeas case continues.