Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil fights U.S. deportation while publishing memoir

On March 8, 2025, federal authorities detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate and vocal Palestinian activist, and moved him through a series of immigration facilities. Since then, Khalil and a team of over 20 attorneys representing the Center for Constitutional Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union and other progressive organizations have petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse a prior deportation order, citing constitutional violations.

Khalil first rose to prominence after the October 7, 2023, attacks, speaking for students demanding Columbia divest from Israel. He has become a symbolic figure for New York’s left, receiving a Ramadan dinner invitation from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and praise from writers such as Peter Beinart. This month he released his memoir, No Land to Stand On, recounting his migration from Syria through Lebanon to the United States and his legal battle. The book’s endorsements highlight his status as a secular martyr within progressive circles.