New York, MINA – More than 10 US lawmakers on Tuesday called for the immediate release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Anadolu Agency reported.
The group of 13 lawmakers, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, condemned the “illegal abduction” and indefinite detention of Khalil, a U.S. legal permanent resident.
They emphasized that Khalil’s constitutional rights were being violated, as he was denied access to legal counsel and family visitation.
Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia University and a green card holder, was arrested at his university residence in New York on Saturday evening.
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According to his lawyer, Amy Greer, he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who wrongly claimed that his student visa had been revoked. Despite this, Khalil is a permanent resident, not a student visa holder, and is married to a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant.
The lawmakers sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, demanding Khalil’s immediate release. They strongly criticized the detention, calling it an assault on free speech and political protest, particularly aimed at the Palestine solidarity movement. They also accused the DHS of anti-Palestinian racism and emphasized that Khalil had not been charged with any crime.
In response to the detention, former President Donald Trump defended the arrest, calling it “the first arrest of many to come” under executive orders he signed. However, the lawmakers argued that the arrest was part of an attempt to silence political dissent and warned that universities should protect their students from such violations of free thought and expression. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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