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Rep. Ritchie Torres dodged questions and resorted to insults when asked about Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder arrested for free speech. Instead of defending basic rights, he parrots AIPAC talking points and smears activists. Tomorrow let’s flood Congress for Mahmoud! Not in DC? Tell Columbia University: Protect your students!

Medea Benjamin

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57,458 views • 1 year ago •via X (Twitter)

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10 Comments

Meriem Vergès - مريم فرجاس1 year ago

Not surprising at all 👇 #FreeMahmoudKhalil

Mountain States Legal Foundation1 year ago

Imagine speaking out for your kids’ safety & being smeared as a “racist,” falsely charged, & denied justice. This is Kristen Fry’s reality after questioning her school board. She’s a mom, not a politician. Help her fight back—sign the petition & protect free speech.

GeorgeM1 year ago

What a total sellout 😡

Jennifer Turner1 year ago

Bless you Medea- dealing with these creeps.

Moy Miz1 year ago

This is the real options he is facing.

MADSMODSAT1 year ago

AIPAC bribes makes feeble minded people say the darndest things...

Doo Something1 year ago

Something is very wrong with @RepRitchie and my guess is he has no choice but to suck up to Israel because the Mossad has child crime blackmail on him.

Scott Rosenbloom1 year ago

He should not even say a word to you. I’m surprised anyone ever does. They all know your fraudulent and anti American agenda

professor mir 🇵🇸 #FreePalestine1 year ago

get the Uyghur Muslims name out of your fucking Zionist mouth, Ritchie

JimmyBrick1 year ago

American politicians are hypocrites and their words mean nothing when they try to act like they are moral and good people. They have shown Americans they are soulless and spineless people who are betraying the highest positions in the land

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"We will continue to rage at this institution until Mahmoud Khalil is free." Graduates from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) chant 'Free Palestine' and rip up their diplomas in protest against the university, while also calling for authorities to free Mahmoud Khalil. The protest follows the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student of Palestinian background from SIPA. Mahmoud, who is a green card holder, was unlawfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at his university-owned apartment. The Trump administration wants to deport Khalil who holds permanent residency in the US.

"We will continue to rage at this institution until Mahmoud Khalil is free." Graduates from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) chant 'Free Palestine' and rip up their diplomas in protest against the university, while also calling for authorities to free Mahmoud Khalil. The protest follows the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student of Palestinian background from SIPA. Mahmoud, who is a green card holder, was unlawfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at his university-owned apartment. The Trump administration wants to deport Khalil who holds permanent residency in the US.

Middle East Eye

38,562 views • 1 year ago

The state-driven attack on free speech saw a major and genuinely disturbing escalation as the Trump administration dispatched ICE to arrest a Columbia grad and green card holder for protesting against Israel. Glenn Greenwald on the chilling effects of Mahmoud Khalil's arrest:

The state-driven attack on free speech saw a major and genuinely disturbing escalation as the Trump administration dispatched ICE to arrest a Columbia grad and green card holder for protesting against Israel. Glenn Greenwald on the chilling effects of Mahmoud Khalil's arrest:

System Update

40,731 views • 1 year ago

This is the level of discourse from our elected officials: mindless repetition of talking points instead of actual facts. It’s pathetic. They know there is no legal reason to deport Mahmoud Khalil. He’s a nonviolent student negotiator who hasn’t broken any law. Join us as we Flood Congress for Mahmoud and demand his release!

This is the level of discourse from our elected officials: mindless repetition of talking points instead of actual facts. It’s pathetic. They know there is no legal reason to deport Mahmoud Khalil. He’s a nonviolent student negotiator who hasn’t broken any law. Join us as we Flood Congress for Mahmoud and demand his release!

Medea Benjamin

120,801 views • 1 year ago

Immigration enforcement agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil in "retaliation" for him exercising his free speech rights and participating in pro-Palestinian protests, Khalil's lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, said Wednesday. "It is absolutely unprecedented. The grounds that are being cited by the government for purportedly claiming to revoke his green card and putting him in removal proceedings ... are vague," he said Wednesday. He also noted that Khalil is a "lawful permanent resident." Kassem spoke to reporters outside of a courthouse in New York following a procedural hearing where a judge ordered Khalil to remain detained in Louisiana for now. Khalil was arrested Saturday by immigration authorities, despite having a green card, for participating in protests at Columbia University against Israel’s attacks on Gaza as part of its war with Hamas. The arrest is part of the Trump administration's crackdown on antisemitism, particularly on college campuses.

Immigration enforcement agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil in "retaliation" for him exercising his free speech rights and participating in pro-Palestinian protests, Khalil's lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, said Wednesday. "It is absolutely unprecedented. The grounds that are being cited by the government for purportedly claiming to revoke his green card and putting him in removal proceedings ... are vague," he said Wednesday. He also noted that Khalil is a "lawful permanent resident." Kassem spoke to reporters outside of a courthouse in New York following a procedural hearing where a judge ordered Khalil to remain detained in Louisiana for now. Khalil was arrested Saturday by immigration authorities, despite having a green card, for participating in protests at Columbia University against Israel’s attacks on Gaza as part of its war with Hamas. The arrest is part of the Trump administration's crackdown on antisemitism, particularly on college campuses.

PBS News

61,923 views • 1 year ago

Smearing the Palestine solidarity movement on campus as "inherently antisemitic" was "loading the gun" for the Trump administration's current war on higher education, says Columbia professor Joseph Howley. Over the weekend, ICE agents arrested student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, citing his activism. He is a green card holder and married to a U.S. citizen.

Smearing the Palestine solidarity movement on campus as "inherently antisemitic" was "loading the gun" for the Trump administration's current war on higher education, says Columbia professor Joseph Howley. Over the weekend, ICE agents arrested student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, citing his activism. He is a green card holder and married to a U.S. citizen.

Democracy Now!

27,452 views • 1 year ago

In a stinging rebuke of Columbia University’s lack of support for him, Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate who was arrested by immigration agents from inside his university housing building in March, says that the Columbia administration hasn’t cared to call, that he wasn't surprised by them not writing a letter of support in his case, and that they even refused permission for a rally to welcome him at the university gates today. Columbia has not provided a letter of support for Khalil in court, unlike Tufts University, which did that for their student Rümeysa Öztürk. "Maybe if there was a financial gain from doing that, they (Columbia) would have done it. This is what Columbia cares about - they care about their money," says Khalil in response to my question. Drop Site

In a stinging rebuke of Columbia University’s lack of support for him, Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate who was arrested by immigration agents from inside his university housing building in March, says that the Columbia administration hasn’t cared to call, that he wasn't surprised by them not writing a letter of support in his case, and that they even refused permission for a rally to welcome him at the university gates today. Columbia has not provided a letter of support for Khalil in court, unlike Tufts University, which did that for their student Rümeysa Öztürk. "Maybe if there was a financial gain from doing that, they (Columbia) would have done it. This is what Columbia cares about - they care about their money," says Khalil in response to my question. Drop Site

Meghnad Bose

45,339 views • 1 year ago

NEWS: Jewish students at Columbia University, including members of Columbia Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Columbia/Barnard Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), have chained themselves to St. Paul’s Chapel Gate in protest of the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist. Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8, 2025, after being reported to federal authorities. The protesters are demanding transparency, specifically the names of the university trustees involved in his reporting. They have vowed not to leave until their demands are met. Follow Drop Site contributor Meghnad Bose at Columbia for the latest. He shares this video interviewing the students involved in the direct action.

NEWS: Jewish students at Columbia University, including members of Columbia Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Columbia/Barnard Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), have chained themselves to St. Paul’s Chapel Gate in protest of the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist. Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8, 2025, after being reported to federal authorities. The protesters are demanding transparency, specifically the names of the university trustees involved in his reporting. They have vowed not to leave until their demands are met. Follow Drop Site contributor Meghnad Bose at Columbia for the latest. He shares this video interviewing the students involved in the direct action.

Drop Site

57,617 views • 1 year ago

This is Columbia’s Mahmoud Khalil speaking at the “Welcome Home Mahmoud” rally. This is likely the most complete version of his speech that’s publicly available—for now. The footage comes from BreakThrough News (funded by Neville Roy Singham), and even this version appears to be selectively edited. He began by expressing appreciation for his freedom and his wife’s support: “I’m grateful to be standing freely next to all of you today” and “I’m grateful to my wife, whose support, love, and care has kept me upright.” Khalil praised student activists at Columbia and nationwide, stating: “I would like to salute the courage of all students at Columbia and across the nation.” He sharply criticized Columbia’s leadership, calling them “the shameful board of trustees,” and alleged they are “currently attempting to expel 15 more students” for pro-Palestinian advocacy. He accused the university of suppressing speech, saying: “Columbia University will do everything and anything it can to ensure that the words ‘Free Palestine’ are not uttered anywhere near it.” According to Khalil, the university also denied organizers the ability to hold the rally at the campus gates. Addressing how he’s been portrayed, Khalil said: “The administration has tried its best to portray me as someone who's violent,” but insisted: “Mahmoud is a human rights defender… a father and husband… a Palestinian who refuses to remain silent.” He described the war in Gaza as a genocide “committed by the genocidal state of Israel, funded by the U.S. government, and invested in by Columbia University.” Recalling his time in ICE detention, he said: “The center is crowded with hundreds of people who are told that their existence is illegal, and not one of us knows when we can go free.” He ended with a chant that helped sustain him: “I believe that we will win.”

This is Columbia’s Mahmoud Khalil speaking at the “Welcome Home Mahmoud” rally. This is likely the most complete version of his speech that’s publicly available—for now. The footage comes from BreakThrough News (funded by Neville Roy Singham), and even this version appears to be selectively edited. He began by expressing appreciation for his freedom and his wife’s support: “I’m grateful to be standing freely next to all of you today” and “I’m grateful to my wife, whose support, love, and care has kept me upright.” Khalil praised student activists at Columbia and nationwide, stating: “I would like to salute the courage of all students at Columbia and across the nation.” He sharply criticized Columbia’s leadership, calling them “the shameful board of trustees,” and alleged they are “currently attempting to expel 15 more students” for pro-Palestinian advocacy. He accused the university of suppressing speech, saying: “Columbia University will do everything and anything it can to ensure that the words ‘Free Palestine’ are not uttered anywhere near it.” According to Khalil, the university also denied organizers the ability to hold the rally at the campus gates. Addressing how he’s been portrayed, Khalil said: “The administration has tried its best to portray me as someone who's violent,” but insisted: “Mahmoud is a human rights defender… a father and husband… a Palestinian who refuses to remain silent.” He described the war in Gaza as a genocide “committed by the genocidal state of Israel, funded by the U.S. government, and invested in by Columbia University.” Recalling his time in ICE detention, he said: “The center is crowded with hundreds of people who are told that their existence is illegal, and not one of us knows when we can go free.” He ended with a chant that helped sustain him: “I believe that we will win.”

Stu

114,110 views • 1 year ago

We’re in Congress today asking members to take action to support Mahmoud Khalil and demand his freedom. The Trump administration is blatantly violating the First Amendment. If we allow him to detain and deport Mahmoud, he could do the same to any of us. We’re glad that Rep. Bennie Thompson, ranking member on the House DHS Committee, agreed to put out a statement in support. Every member of Congress who claims to care about free speech must be doing everything they can to secure Mahmoud’s release.

We’re in Congress today asking members to take action to support Mahmoud Khalil and demand his freedom. The Trump administration is blatantly violating the First Amendment. If we allow him to detain and deport Mahmoud, he could do the same to any of us. We’re glad that Rep. Bennie Thompson, ranking member on the House DHS Committee, agreed to put out a statement in support. Every member of Congress who claims to care about free speech must be doing everything they can to secure Mahmoud’s release.

Medea Benjamin

18,266 views • 1 year ago

🇺🇸🇩🇿 DHS: PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL TO BE RE-ARRESTED & DEPORTED TO ALGERIA The Syrian-born activist Mahmoud Khalil organized pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and got accused of backing Hamas. He is getting picked up again by ICE after a federal appeals court overturned his release. DHS says he's headed to Algeria, and they're not messing around. Tricia McLaughlin put it bluntly: "It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card. You are a guest in this country. Act like it. It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study." Source: NewsNation, Tricia McLaughlin

🇺🇸🇩🇿 DHS: PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL TO BE RE-ARRESTED & DEPORTED TO ALGERIA The Syrian-born activist Mahmoud Khalil organized pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and got accused of backing Hamas. He is getting picked up again by ICE after a federal appeals court overturned his release. DHS says he's headed to Algeria, and they're not messing around. Tricia McLaughlin put it bluntly: "It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card. You are a guest in this country. Act like it. It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study." Source: NewsNation, Tricia McLaughlin

Mario Nawfal

26,796 views • 6 months ago

Mahmoud Khalil showed up on Capitol Hill today claiming he was “targeted, harassed, and imprisoned” for “opposing genocide.” He blames Columbia University and the Trump administration for trying to “silence” him.But Khalil wasn’t silenced; he was leading the charge. As a top organizer with Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), Khalil helped turn the campus into a war zone. CUAD seized academic buildings, turned the quad into an encampment filled with extremist rhetoric, and ultimately occupied Hamilton Hall, barricading themselves inside and forcing the university to call in the NYPD. This wasn’t peaceful protest. It was lawless chaos. And now the ringleader is on the Hill playing the victim? Mahmoud Khalil says he felt “detained.” Maybe ask his classmates how they felt when CUAD seized Hamilton Hall, shut down Butler Library, and ran an encampment that turned Columbia into a war zone. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the chaos they unleashed. He’s not a casualty of repression—he’s an architect of it.

Mahmoud Khalil showed up on Capitol Hill today claiming he was “targeted, harassed, and imprisoned” for “opposing genocide.” He blames Columbia University and the Trump administration for trying to “silence” him.But Khalil wasn’t silenced; he was leading the charge. As a top organizer with Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), Khalil helped turn the campus into a war zone. CUAD seized academic buildings, turned the quad into an encampment filled with extremist rhetoric, and ultimately occupied Hamilton Hall, barricading themselves inside and forcing the university to call in the NYPD. This wasn’t peaceful protest. It was lawless chaos. And now the ringleader is on the Hill playing the victim? Mahmoud Khalil says he felt “detained.” Maybe ask his classmates how they felt when CUAD seized Hamilton Hall, shut down Butler Library, and ran an encampment that turned Columbia into a war zone. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the chaos they unleashed. He’s not a casualty of repression—he’s an architect of it.

Stu

19,476 views • 1 year ago

BREAKING: WHERE IS MAHMOUD KHALIL? Mahmoud Khalil’s attorney has confirmed they do not know his whereabouts. Officials initially claimed he was taken to an ICE facility in Elizabeth, NJ. But when his wife, who is EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT, arrived to visit him, she was told he was not there. Now, reports indicate he may have been transferred as far as Louisiana. This is NOT just an arrest. This is an ATTACK on the FIRST AMENDMENT and a chilling escalation of authoritarianism under Trump. Mahmoud Khalil, a LAWFUL permanent resident and Columbia GRADUATE student, has not been charged with or convicted of a single crime. His only “offence”? Advocating for justice. As a student LEADER, Khalil was ELECTED by his peers to negotiate with Columbia University on divestment from Israel. He is a voice of reason, a measured and brilliant mind, and now a target of state repression. He has not been charged with or convicted of a SINGLE crime. He is calm, smart, and measured and backed by millions around the world! The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to detain him is LAWLESS. It is a direct attempt to silence peaceful anti-genocide activism. Mahmoud Khalil must be released. NOW

BREAKING: WHERE IS MAHMOUD KHALIL? Mahmoud Khalil’s attorney has confirmed they do not know his whereabouts. Officials initially claimed he was taken to an ICE facility in Elizabeth, NJ. But when his wife, who is EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT, arrived to visit him, she was told he was not there. Now, reports indicate he may have been transferred as far as Louisiana. This is NOT just an arrest. This is an ATTACK on the FIRST AMENDMENT and a chilling escalation of authoritarianism under Trump. Mahmoud Khalil, a LAWFUL permanent resident and Columbia GRADUATE student, has not been charged with or convicted of a single crime. His only “offence”? Advocating for justice. As a student LEADER, Khalil was ELECTED by his peers to negotiate with Columbia University on divestment from Israel. He is a voice of reason, a measured and brilliant mind, and now a target of state repression. He has not been charged with or convicted of a SINGLE crime. He is calm, smart, and measured and backed by millions around the world! The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to detain him is LAWLESS. It is a direct attempt to silence peaceful anti-genocide activism. Mahmoud Khalil must be released. NOW

Sulaiman Ahmed

208,719 views • 1 year ago

BREAKING: Mahmoud Khalil announces that he has a “very important” hearing scheduled tomorrow at the Federal Court of Appeals, where arguments will address whether the Trump administration can re-detain and deport him. He adds that a separate deportation effort is underway through an immigration process he describes as “completely controlled” by the administration and based on “fabricated and pretextual claims” about his green card application. Khalil vows to fight both proceedings in court, declaring he will continue advocating for Palestinian rights “until the occupation ends and my people are free” — a line that pointedly suggests no end to his activism until Israel itself ceases to exist.

BREAKING: Mahmoud Khalil announces that he has a “very important” hearing scheduled tomorrow at the Federal Court of Appeals, where arguments will address whether the Trump administration can re-detain and deport him. He adds that a separate deportation effort is underway through an immigration process he describes as “completely controlled” by the administration and based on “fabricated and pretextual claims” about his green card application. Khalil vows to fight both proceedings in court, declaring he will continue advocating for Palestinian rights “until the occupation ends and my people are free” — a line that pointedly suggests no end to his activism until Israel itself ceases to exist.

Stu Smith

13,921 views • 9 months ago