March 31, 2025. It’s been 24 days and counting since Mahmoud Khalil was kidnapped by ICE agents, then secretly flown from New York City to an ICE detention dungeon in Jena, Louisiana, 1,400 miles away. Mahmoud is a Columbia University graduate and green card holding, legal permanent resident. 

Mahmoud was not charged with any crime. The Trump/MAGA fascist regime made clear—including in its legal filings—that Mahmoud was being locked up and threatened with deportation because he had spoken up and protested nonviolently for the Palestinian people and in opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. As one of his lawyers put it, the government’s case against Mahmoud was retaliation “against constitutionally protected speech.”

The government claims that Mahmoud’s actions harmed U.S. foreign policy and spread antisemitism. For starters, the antisemitism charge is a bald-faced lie: opposing genocide, or Israel, or Zionism do not constitute antisemitism—the hatred of or prejudice against Jews as a people. 

And think about it: if opposing genocide harms U.S. foreign policy, what does that say about U.S. foreign policy? That mass murder and genocide are key elements of it!

The importance and implications of Mahmoud’s case are enormous. This fascist regime is trying to establish the precedent that it can target, detain, and deport legal, non-citizen residents simply because they oppose U.S. actions around the world.

Already the regime has targeted at least nine foreign-born legal residents for their political activity in support of Palestine—arresting them, revoking their visas, deporting them, or preventing them from re-entering the U.S. They include a Gambian student at Cornell University, an Indian scholar at Georgetown University, a Lebanese doctor at Brown University’s medical school, a Turkish student at Tufts University and a Korean student at Columbia. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims to have a target list of over 300 students.

These attacks are outrageous and dangerous. As RefuseFascism.org writes:

Khalil’s arrest is a turning point. It is a leap towards the consolidation of a different kind of country – a fascist America. When the rule of law becomes moot – when what is permissible to speak or do is at the say so of Trump and his minions – that must be the wake-up call for us act as one. When the business of the government is bulldozing the rule of law and cementing a fascist order, there must be no business as usual.

Intense Legal Battle Over Mahmoud’s Detention Continues 

On Friday, March 28, a hearing on where Mahmoud’s case should be heard was held in U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey.¹

Mahmoud’s legal team argued that his petition opposing his unlawful detention and attempted deportation by ICE should remain and be heard in New Jersey, not moved to Louisiana. They also argued that Mahmoud should be released from custody pending the outcome of his case (including because his wife is expecting their baby in less than a month).

Mahmoud’s attorneys also asked the judge to issue an order that broadly prevents the government from “arresting, detaining, and removing noncitizens who engage in constitutionally protected expressive activity in the United States in support of Palestinian rights or critical of Israel.”

They also called for the proceedings to be done quickly. “The longer we wait, the more chill there is. … Everyone knows about this case and is wondering if they’re going to get picked off the street for opposing U.S. foreign policy,” defense attorney Baher Azmy said.

The government continued to demand that Mahmoud’s challenge to his incarceration should be moved to Louisiana, where he is now locked up. This is outrageous and dangerous. Louisiana is 1,400 miles away from his family, his legal team, and where the events leading to his arrest took place. The only reason Mahmoud (and other detainees) have ended up in Louisiana is that this is where the most right-wing, reactionary federal district court is located. The Trump regime is betting there’s a better chance that court will rule favorably on and legitimize its fascist repression. 

On March 28, Judge Michael Farbiarz said that he would make a decision on where Mahmoud’s case would be heard soon, and only after that would consider the issue of granting bail and releasing Mahmoud.²

Hundreds Turn Out in Support of Mahmoud

On March 28, some 200-300 people from a number of different organizations, including RefuseFascism.org, turned out at the Newark courthouse to demand Mahmoud’s release. The day before, some 30-40 people from RefuseFascism.org and other groups also demonstrated there in support of Mahmoud, and RefuseFascism.org carried out actions in a half dozen other cities on March 27.

Signs included: “Free Mahmoud”; “Hands off our students! ICE off our campus!”; “Opposing genocide does not mean supporting terrorism.”

This Coming Week Is Critical

These were important support actions. Ramzi Kassem, one of Mahmoud’s lawyers emphasized: “No matter what happens in court, what’s most important is for all of us to keep up the pressure. To let this government know that it cannot suppress speech.”

The struggle to free Mahmoud must broaden, deepen and become more determined, on the campuses and throughout society and be more firmly linked to the struggle against the whole Trump/MAGA fascist onslaught of which it is a part. 

People can do so by joining in RefuseFascism.org’s call, including to link the struggle to Free Mahmoud at the nationwide demonstrations on April 5: