New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has triggered a social media backlash after hosting activist Mahmoud Khalil for dinner.
Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was arrested at a Columbia University-owned residence last March, related to his participation in a Gaza solidarity encampment organized by students in 2024. He was held for about three months in Louisiana and then released in June following a federal district court judge’s ruling.
Mamdani hosted Khalil, wife Noor Abdalla and their young son for dinner at Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, to mark the one-year anniversary of his detention and, in a post on X, said he was “honored to welcome” him.
In response, social media users slammed Mamdani for associating with Khalil.
Newsweek reached out to representatives for Mamdani by email to comment outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
The social media backlash reflects political polarization in the U.S. and the extent to which Khalil’s high-profile case divides people.
The Trump administration has alleged that pro-Palestinian activists including Khalil support Hamas. Khalil and his lawyers have argued that, through his protest, Khalil exercised his right to free speech.
What To Know
Representative Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, posted a graphic on X that said “deport” in response to Mamdani posting about his dinner with Khalil.
An account called Real Defender, which said it was aligned with the Make America Great Again movement and has more than 76,000 followers said: “You are a disgrace.”
Conservative activist Laura Loomer called the dinner “outrageous.”
However, Mamdani also attracted support from some X users, including one, with more than 5,000 followers who wrote: “No one should miss the birth of their child for exercising basic rights. What happened to Mahmoud is a stain on the very freedoms people claim to defend.”
Mamdani has spoken out in support for Khalil. “Mahmoud is free—and must remain free,” he wrote on X in January.
Last week, he also asked President Donald Trump to drop Khalil’s case.
What People Are Saying
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on X: “For Mahmoud Khalil, this past year has been marked by profound hardship—and by profound courage. A year ago, Mahmoud was walking home through our city after sharing an iftar with his wife Noor when he was detained by federal agents, flown to Louisiana, and then held in an ICE facility for months. In that time, he was forced to miss the birth of his first child. All of this for exercising his First Amendment rights in protesting the ongoing genocide in Palestine. And yet, even in the face of that cruelty, there has also been beauty. New Yorkers raising their voices in solidarity. A city refusing to look away. Mahmoud won his freedom, and a father was finally reunited with his child. Last night, as we marked the one year anniversary of his detention, Rama and I were honored to welcome Mahmoud, Noor, and their son Deen to Gracie Mansion to break our fast together. Mahmoud is a New Yorker, and he belongs in New York City.”
What Happens Next
Khalil’s legal battles continue. In January, a federal appeals panel reversed a lower-court decision that released him from jail, ruling that the court did not have the authority to release Khalil.
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