Saturday, federal agents arrested and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a 29-year-old legal resident of the U.S. The Trump administration summarily revoked Khalil’s Green Card for the activist’s part in organizing the Columbia University protests. In 2025, Khalil, a Columbia graduate, participated in student protests against the Palestinian genocide. Khalil’s actions were protected under the First Amendment and were not illegal. That hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from arresting and detaining him. The illegal detention of political protestors sets a dangerous precedent. Now the people of New York are speaking up.
Mahmoud Khalil Inspires NYC Protests
Targeted violence from law enforcement against Columbia protesters is nothing new. Abducting a Green Card holder from their home, unlawfully detaining them, and attempting to deport them is, however. By arresting and detaining Mahmoud Khalil for 1st Amendment-protected speech, the Trump administration has made one thing obvious: the law will either be a weapon or nothing at all. That’s one reason many NYC residents have since taken to the streets protesting Khalil’s arrest.
A TikTok on the subject by @salamakil01 garnered over 48k likes and numerous comments, many of which pointed out the wrongfulness of Khalil’s arrest. One commenter put it simply, saying, “He did nothing wrong.” Another commenter pointed out the effect that the Trump administration hopes to cause with the arrest,
They’re trying to silence and scare pro Palestine activities too
Unfortunately for the Trump administration, protests for Mahmoud Khalil have spread beyond NYC, with activists nationwide speaking out on his behalf. Arresting organizers, siccing cops on protestors, and otherwise suppressing free speech? That’s a key part of Trump’s crackdown on dissent. The administration has also doubled down on its support for Israel and the ongoing Palestinian genocide in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest will likely only be the first in a string of illegal and unethical detentions. By taking to the streets in protest, the people of NYC are positioning themselves on the frontline of the battle for free expression.
