Anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil on Sunday bashed his alma mater Columbia College over its “hypocrisy” in claiming to help worldwide college students whereas leaving him to rot in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention heart for 3 months till his launch final week.
“I must call the hypocrisy of Columbia University. A university that just two weeks ago said that they want to protect their international students,” lamented the 30-year-old, who was sporting a blue polo shirt emblazoned with “Lift the siege on Gaza,” as he spoke on the steps of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, simply blocks from the Ivy League’s campus the place he helped spearhead anti-Israel encampments final yr.
“While over 100 days later, I haven’t received a single call from this university.”
Khalil was arrested by federal immigration authorities on March 8 and spent 104 days at a rural Louisiana detention heart because the Trump administration fought to deport the Syrian-born everlasting US resident. He was launched from federal custody Friday after a New Jersey choose ordered his launch.
“I also must call out their double standards. How did we become targets of Israel-aligned groups?” he continued. “Because Columbia University failed to protect students. Columbia University, in fact, emboldened these individuals to continue to harass and harm students.”
The cathedral steps have been full of members of Khalil’s authorized staff, his spouse, Dr. Noor Abdalla, 28, and his toddler son, Deen, who was born whereas he was in ICE custody. Many supporters introduced their very own keffiyehs, Palestine flags and a sea of “Welcome home” indicators blended in with anti-ICE posters.
Khalil mentioned he initially sought to carry the homecoming at Columbia, however faculty officers refused.
The Submit reached out to Columbia for a remark.
“Columbia administrators never disappoint to disappoint. So, I’m not surprised. This is very shameful, because they are the ones who know me very well. They are the ones who, in private, in fact, tell me that there is anti-Palestinian racism in Columbia, that there is manufactured hysteria about antisemitism at Columbia University because of our protests, but they don’t dare to talk about that in public,” he insisted.
Whereas spirits have been excessive on the homecoming, Khalil was fast to notice that his launch was not the top of their combat.
“My being here today is sweet but it is not a victory,” he mentioned.
Whereas Khalil has been launched from detention, there may be nonetheless an order for his deportation from an immigration choose that his staff continues to combat. The Trump administration can also be attempting to enchantment the discharge order.
Khalil was held at an ICE detention heart in Louisiana after the Trump administration deemed that he posed a major menace to US international coverage relations with Israel and the Center East. After requesting his launch, a choose discovered that his detention was seemingly unconstitutional and unjust.
He was freed on Friday after 104 days locked up. Khalil is a everlasting resident with a inexperienced card, who’s married to a US citizen and, now, a father to a son born within the US.
