Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia College pro-Palestinian activist who used to be detained by way of ICE for greater than 3 months, spoke with ABC Information Reside Top anchor Linsey Davis within the first on-camera interview since his unencumber.
Within the interview, which is about to air on Monday at 7 p.m. ET, Khalil mirrored on his detention and driven again towards the Trump management’s declare that he’s a danger to U.S. nationwide safety.
Khalil, who used to be detained on March 8, described that day as “essentially the most tricky day that I have ever lived.”
Watch extra of Linsey Davis’ broadcast interview with Mahmoud Khalil on “Excellent Morning The us” Monday at 7 a.m. ET and ABC Information Reside Top at 7 p.m. ET.
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil marches with supporters after he used to be launched from ICE detention right through a rally out of doors of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Long island, June 22, 2025 in New York Town.
Spencer Platt/Getty Pictures
“I felt like I used to be actually abducted, the entire ‘know your rights’ that I have indulged myself into felt like not anything as a result of at that second ICE made it transparent that you don’t have any rights, in any respect,” he instructed Davis.
Khalil, a inexperienced card holder who’s married to Dr. Noor Abdalla, an American citizen, used to be a graduate pupil at Columbia College’s Faculty of Global and Public Affairs the place he took phase in a sequence of pro-Palestinian protests on campus towards the Israeli army marketing campaign in Gaza.
Abdalla gave delivery on April 21 to the couple’s first kid, a son named Deen, however Khalil’s request to be provide for his son’s delivery used to be denied. He didn’t meet him till Might 22 whilst in custody.
“What did that imply that you simply had been denied that?” Davis requested.
“That is the maximum merciless factor that any management would do,” Khalil mentioned. “Obviously, I used to be now not risk to the group, that they might have afforded me that chance to be with my son, however it isn’t handiest about me, it is concerning the hundreds of people that can’t be with their youngsters.”
Former Columbia College pupil and pro-Palestinian protest chief Mahmoud Khalil holds a press convention out of doors the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, June 22, 2025.
Kena Betancur/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Requested what his first evening along with his son used to be like, Khalil mentioned that he “could not sleep.”
“[I was] simply having a look at him, being with him,” he mentioned. “I’d be alert to any form of expression that Deen would make for the reason that second that used to be stripped of me, of witnessing his delivery, in reality impacted me on such a lot of ranges.”
Khalil used to be detained in March, with the Trump management pronouncing then partly that his persevered presence within the nation would pose a chance to U.S. overseas coverage. On the other hand, Pass judgement on Farbiarz issued a initial injunction ultimate week barring the Trump management from proceeding to detain him in line with that statement.
He used to be detained for an extra week till his unencumber on Friday after the federal government argued for his persevered detention in line with their allegation that he misrepresented data on his inexperienced card utility, an allegation that Khalil and his lawyers deny.
“The White Area has mentioned that you simply disbursed pro-Hamas fliers. Secretary Rubio mentioned that you simply created an atmosphere of harassment towards Jewish scholars. President Trump mentioned we were given to get him the hell out of our nation. Why do you assume that you’re perceived as this kind of danger?” Davis requested Khalil.
“As a result of I constitute a motion that is going towards what this management is attempting to do,” Khalil spoke back. “They are trying to painting me as a violent individual. They are trying to painting me as a terrorist, as some lunatic, however now not presenting any proof, now not presenting any shred of credibility to their claims.”
Former Columbia College pupil and pro-Palestinian protest chief Mahmoud Khalil shouts slogans in entrance of Columbia College after turning in a press convention in New York Town, June 22, 2025
Kena Betancur/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Khalil used to be launched Friday night time from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Jena, Louisiana, after U.S. District Pass judgement on Michael Farbiarz issued an order granting his unencumber on bail. The pass judgement on mentioned the federal government made no try to turn out that Khalil’s unencumber would irreparably hurt them one way or the other or that Khalil represented a flight chance.
“What all that proof provides as much as is a loss of violence, a loss of belongings destruction, a loss of the rest that may well be characterised as incitement to violence,” Farbiarz mentioned of Khalil.
The pass judgement on mentioned that the prerequisites of Khalil’s unencumber shall now not come with digital tracking or a demand {that a} bond be right away posted.
The Division of Hometown Safety sharply criticized the pass judgement on’s choice to unencumber Khalil, claiming in a observation on Friday that the ruling is “but every other instance of ways out-of-control participants of the judicial department are undermining nationwide safety,” and arguing “an immigration pass judgement on, now not a district pass judgement on, has the authority to make a decision if Mr. Khalil will have to be launched or detained.”
“Their habits now not handiest denies the results of the 2024 election, it additionally does nice hurt to our constitutional gadget by way of undermining public self assurance within the courts,” the observation persevered.
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who used to be launched from ICE detention, and his spouse Noor Abdalla take part in a rally at the steps of Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Long island, June 22, 2025 in New York Town.
Spencer Platt/Getty Pictures
The ruling to unencumber Khalil got here on the identical time an immigration pass judgement on in Jena, Louisiana, denied Khalil’s request for asylum and ordered him to stay detained. Farbiarz’s order outdated that ruling.
Khalil, a grandson of Palestinian refugees who used to be born in Syria and has Algerian citizenship, mentioned that he’s dealing with “an excessively lengthy struggle forward,” however mentioned that he’s going to now not prevent advocating for Palestinian human rights.
“I will be detained subsequent week if the federal government prevails on enchantment, which they are going to now not,” he mentioned. “However what I can focal point on is constant to suggest for Palestinians.”
“The specter of detention won’t deter you?” Davis requested.
“Now not any danger would deter me as a result of no person will have to keep silent when individuals are getting killed. No person,” Khalil mentioned.
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil marches with supporters after he used to be launched from ICE detention right through a rally out of doors of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Long island, June 22, 2025 in New York Town.
Spencer Platt/Getty Pictures
The Israel-Hamas struggle started on Oct. 7, 2023, with Hamas’ terrorist assault on Israel, the place no less than 1,200 had been killed and 251 had been taken hostage. There are 50 hostages that stay in Hamas captivity, with 27 that Israel believes are useless, in step with Israeli officers.
The struggle has taken a critical toll at the Palestinian inhabitants in Gaza, with 55,104 other folks killed, in step with the Hamas-run Gaza Well being Ministry.
When speaking concerning the Palestinian motion, Khalil mentioned there’s “no position” for antisemitism or “any type of racism.”
“There is no position for any type of racism, together with anti-Blackness, antisemitism within the Palestine motion, and the Jewish scholars and other folks generally in america are an integral a part of the Palestinian motion,” he mentioned.
ABC Information’ Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this file.
