Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and legal US resident, asserted that he cannot be detained or deported while his immigration appeals are ongoing, following a suggestion from a US official about deportation to Algeria. Detained for 104 days by ICE in 2025, his constitutional detention was ruled unlawful by a federal judge, although the Trump administration’s recent appeal allows the case to continue. Khalil, who advocates for Palestinian rights, emphasized that he has not been shown evidence of any crime. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended him, condemning the efforts to remove Khalil as an attack on free speech, particularly pro-Palestinian expression.
