Mahmoud Khalil

US appeals court rules Mahmoud Khalil deportation case can continue

In a separate but related development, the Trump administration reportedly fired two immigration judges who blocked the deportation of two pro-Palestine international students.

|ByMATHILDA HELLER
Columbia students, professors, gather in front of the University to rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia, and the numerous other community members who have been unlawfully detained by ICE, in New York City, United States, on March 09, 2026.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji react as confetti falls during his inauguration ceremony in New York City, US, January 1, 2026.

By hosting Mahmoud Khalil, Mamdani sets new rules for justifying October 7 massacre - opinion

From Mamdani's perspective, inviting Khalil is not at all a liability, but, rather, a plus in setting the new rules by which he hopes his supporters will play.

|ByCOOKIE SCHWAEBER-ISSAN
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji react as confetti falls during his inauguration ceremony in New York City, US, January 1, 2026.

Mamdani hosting Mahmoud Khalil at iftar sends ‘troubling message,’ NYC Jewish officials say

Controversy erupts after NYC Mayor Mamdani hosts radical activist Mahmoud Khalil for iftar, drawing criticism from Jewish leaders over his stance on Israel.

|ByMATHILDA HELLER
Mahmoud Khalil, arrives at the New York City Mayor Zohrarn Mamdani's ceremonial inauguration at City Hall on January 1, 2026.

Mamdani’s invitation to Mahmoud Khalil: Anti-Israel activism enters City Hall - editorial

Mamdani’s decision to host Mahmoud Khalil raises concerns about New York’s political shift, signaling a troubling embrace of anti-Israel activism and alienating the Jewish community.

|ByJPOST EDITORIAL

Ramadan meal with a Hamas supporter? Mahmoud Khalil joins Mamdani for iftar

The mayor also attached a festive photograph from the event, in which his wife can be seen holding a plate of food while standing next to Khalil.

MARCH 10, 2026ByELI LEON
Zohran Mamdani looks on at Old City Hall Staion on the day he is sworn in as mayor of New York City, New York, US, Thursday, Jan 1st 2026.

Mamdani defends activist Mahmoud Khalil amid Trump administration deportation push

"I will make that clear to everyone - I have said it time and again - that he deserves to stay in the city. He deserves to be here, just like any other New Yorker." said Zohran Mamdani.

JANUARY 24, 2026BySHOSHANA BAKER
NEW YORK CITY Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani speaks at the foot of a monument to US founding father Thomas Jefferson.

US to deport pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria, Homeland Security official claims

The Trump Administration has been pushing to deport Khalil, while the activist's lawer arguing that the removal of his green card would violate the US Constitution.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil stands next to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a day after he was released from immigration custody, at Newark airport in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., June 21, 2025.

Court overturns ruling to free pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, paving way for rearrest

"Mahmoud is free - and must remain free," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to the court's decision.

JANUARY 15, 2026ByREUTERS
Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil attends a pro-Palestinian protest outside Columbia University, in Manhattan in New York City, US, October 7, 2025

Mamdani reportedly taps anti-Israel lawyer who defended 9/11 for Chief Counsel

Syrian-born Ramzi Kassem has served as the lawyer for multiple problematic individuals, including a close ally of Osama Bin Laden, Ahmed al-Darbi, convicted of bombing a French oil tanker.

DECEMBER 16, 2025ByMATHILDA HELLER
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference in Central Park in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City, US, November 24, 2025.

Columbia University denies campus access to activist Mahmoud Khalil over safety concerns

"They’re censoring anything connected to Palestine, anything that exposes their repression, their retaliation, and their complicity in genocide," said Mahmoud Khalil

NOVEMBER 25, 2025ByMICHAEL STARR
Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil attends a pro-Palestinian protest outside Columbia University, in Manhattan in New York City, US, October 7, 2025

What is CAIR: The US Muslim rights group with terror ties - explainer

CAIR, founded in 1994, had the mission of fighting anti-Muslim discrimination in the US by trying to inform and educate the public about Islam.

NOVEMBER 9, 2025ByLEO FEIERBERG BETTER
Roula Allouch (L), chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Rabiah Ahmed (C) of the Muslim Public Affairs Council listen to Nihad Awad (R), executive director and founder of CAIR, speak during a news conference with American Muslim leaders to discuss "growing Islamophobia" at t

Trump-backed targeting of pro-Palestinian activists for deportation is unlawful, US judge rules

A federal judge ruled Trump’s administration violated free speech by revoking visas and deporting students over pro-Palestinian advocacy during the Gaza war.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2025ByREUTERS
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside the main campus of Columbia University during the Columbia commencement ceremony in Manhattan, in New York City, May 21, 2025.

Immigration judge orders Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil deported to Algeria or Syria

Louisiana immigration Judge Jamee Comans orders Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil’s deportation to Algeria or Syria, citing activism ties. His legal team appeals the decision in a civil rights case.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2025ByMICHAEL STARR
Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil stands next to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a day after he was released from immigration custody, at Newark airport in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., June 21, 2025.

Mahmoud Khalil pushes back on claims of antisemitism at Columbia in Ezra Klein interview

“I would say there is this manufactured hysteria about antisemitism at Columbia because of the protests,” Khalil said.

AUGUST 6, 2025ByGRACE GILSON/JTA
MUSLIM PROTESTERS pray outside Columbia University’s main campus in March as they denounce the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, in New York City. The writer asks: Should Khalil, a radical leader, be protected because of ‘free speech?’