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Mahmoud Khalil, Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student currently detained in Jena, Louisiana, has shared a new letter about his ongoing battle with the United States immigration system.
Published as an op-ed in the Washington Post on April 17, Khalil’s words offer a powerful look into his life in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention while also raising broader questions on America’s values.
Khalil reflects on how his life has been reduced to endless contemplation within the confines of a crowded facility, sharing space with 70 other detainees. As he lies awake, just two weeks away from becoming a father, he wonders which of his fellow detainees are dreaming of reuniting with their families, and which are plagued by the fear of becoming the Trump administration’s next “administrative error.”
Khalil refers to the infamous incident where the Trump administration deported Kilmar Ábrego García and more than 260 others to Central America under unchecked allegations of gang affiliation.
Last week, the Supreme Court partially supported a judge’s order requiring officials to facilitate Ábrego García’s release, after the government acknowledged that his deportation was an “administrative error.”
A US official confirmed that Ábrego García, who has no criminal record, is “alive and secure” in El Salvador’s Cecot, a brutal Terrorism Confinement Centre while El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele stated, during a visit with President Trump, that he lacked the authority to bring Ábrego García back to the US.
Similarly for Kahlil, despite being a legal permanent resident, he has been targeted for deportation based on unfounded allegations, many of which were backed by sensationalized media rather than legitimate evidence. In court, an immigration judge ruled last week that Kahlil could be deported, even though his case remains under review in other courts.
In fact, US media reported this week that the government relied on articles from tabloids to argue its case against Khalil, claiming he should be deported for allegedly lying on his green card application.
Among the accusations brought forth by the Trump administration is that Khalil was a “member of UNRWA,” the United Nations agency that aids Palestinian refugees, which the US has suspended funding for during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Khalil’s deportation case is based on a provision in the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the Secretary of State to revoke a person’s immigration status based on activities that “could harm US foreign policy”. However, when pressed to substantiate these claims, the administration shifted its focus to Khalil’s personal beliefs.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had submitted a memo last week, arguing that Khalil should be deported due to his “beliefs, statements, or associations.” — an infringement on free speech and thought.
Khalil recalled letters from supporters, some with stamps featuring the American flag and the words “liberty forever.” He finds the irony in these letters overwhelming, particularly as he reflects on how the administration has used immigration law to push a repressive agenda.
“I think about the breakneck speed with which my case was heard and decided, running roughshod over due process. On the flip side, I think about those I am locked up with, many of whom have been languishing for months or years waiting for their due process,” said Khalil.
While the US Constitution is often reduced to the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, and the Second Amendment, which ensures the right to bear arms. However, it also includes other vital provisions, such as the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. This clause guarantees that the government must follow specific procedures before depriving anyone of their life, liberty, or property– A crucial safeguard that some hardline nationalists are more than willing to overlook.
Khalil rejects the accusations against him, reaffirming his commitment to justice for all people, regardless of religion. He reflects on his activism at Columbia University, where he worked alongside Muslim, Jewish, and Christian students in support of Palestinian rights.
“Like the thousands of students that I advocated with in Columbia—including Muslim, Jewish, and Christian friends—I believe in the innate equality of all human dignity,” he says. “I believe in the right of my people to look at the blue sky and not fear an impending missile.”
Khalil concludes his letter with a warning: “ I write this letter as the sun rises, hoping that the suspension of my rights will raise alarm bells that yours are already in jeopardy […] a democracy of convenience– is no democracy at all.”
His letter, published on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, coincides with the global call for attention to the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Nearly 10,000 Palestinians are currently imprisoned in Israeli jails, including 400 children and almost 4,000 people held without charge or trial– i.e without due process.
