NPR: He was detained for 104 days. A year later, he's still fighting for the right to free speech

Kevin R. Johnson

15 Mar 2026 — 2 min read

NPR looks at the immigration case of Mahmoud Khalil. As it describes,

Khalil came to national attention when he helped negotiate with Columbia University administrators during massive pro-Palestinian protests that rocked the campus. Protesters set up encampments in the heart of Columbia’s campus in 2024, during the war in Gaza, calling for the university to divest from Israel.

Then he became the story after the Trump administration took him into custody a year ago and moved to deport him. Secretary of State Marco Rubio used a little-known 1952 law to declare his presence in the U.S. could have potentially serious foreign policy consequences.

Khalil spent 104 days in detention, mostly far away from his home in the New York area. Now free, the green-card holder is fighting to stay in the country alongside his wife and young son.

These days, he’s devoting most of his energy to court filings, which he views as part of his full-time job. Khalil knows his legal challenges could reverberate far beyond his personal experience and set important precedent for immigrants’ free speech rights.

"This case is not just about me; it's about whether the government can detain a lawful resident for political speech,” he said.

He also shared more about what life has been like at the center of the storm, since his release from a crowded immigration center in Louisiana.

He won’t walk outside alone with his son or take him to the park, for fear he could be detained anew by immigration officers. He looks behind his shoulder as he walks down the street, wears a baseball cap pulled low over his brow and chooses his seat on the subway carefully.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently raised Khalil’s case to President Trump. But it’s not clear what will come of that advocacy.

Khalil isn’t taking anything for granted. It’s up in the air whether he and his wife will plan a big first birthday party for their son in April. He’s watching and waiting for the courts to determine his fate.

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