Mahmoud Khalil released from ICE detention center, vows to continue Gaza protests

NEW YORK (PIX 11) — Just days after being released from an ICE detention center in Louisiana, where he was held for more than three months, Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil spoke out at a rally and march in Morningside Heights. 

“It feels great,” Khalil said. “It feels that the movement is winning.” 

The former Columbia University grad student stood on the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Sunday, discussing his experience being detained by ICE. 

“It felt like I was literally being kidnapped, where you have plain clothes agents literally snatching you off your apartment without introducing themselves,” he said. “Without introducing an arrest warrant.”

The 30-year-old Palestinian activist was freed Friday from an ICE detention center in Louisiana, where he had been held since March. A federal judge ruled that he was not a danger to the community or a flight risk. He arrived at Newark Airport on Saturday, cheering as he pushed his son in a stroller and reunited with his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla. She said she’s proud of her husband’s resilience and of the example he’s setting for their son.

“Mahmoud missed the birth of our son but he will raise Dean with pride, strength, and purpose, and one day our son will know that his father did not bow to fear, he will know that his father stood up when it was hardest and that the world stood with him,” said. Abdalla. 

The Syrian activist — a U.S. green card holder — was among the first foreign students arrested under the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. Now, Khalil is vowing to continue protesting against the war in Gaza, saying this is only the beginning of a longer fight towards justice. 

“I want everyone to understand that my being here today is sweet, but it’s not a victory,” Khalil said. “Not when Palestinians are still being killed.”

The government filed notice on Friday that it is appealing Khalil’s release. His legal team said the federal case is ongoing and argues that the U.S. Constitution protects individuals from being targeted for exercising their right to free speech.