'Justice escapes the contours of this nation’s immigration facilities,' Khalil said in a lengthy statement from inside a Louisiana detention facility.
Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and recent Columbia University graduate detained by U.S. immigration authorities, claims he is a "political prisoner" in his first statement since his arrest. He accuses the Trump administration of suppressing dissent and targeting him for his political beliefs. Following his arrest and transfer to Louisiana, a federal judge initially blocked his deportation, but the government requested the case be dismissed or moved. The judge refused to move the case to Louisiana and ordered Khalil to remain in the U.S. for now, before moving the case from New York to New Jersey. Khalil believes his arrest was due to his advocacy for Palestine.
