Mahmoud Khalil has iftar with Zohran Mamdani to mark ICE detention anniversary

Protesters gathered outside Columbia University on Monday to mark one year since US immigration authorities detained pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who spent iftar with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Students, staff and activists rallied near the institutions, where Khalil is a former student, waving banners reading "ICE OUT OF SCHOOLS", "FIRST THEY CAME FOR MAHMOUD", and "IMMIGRANTS ARE WELCOME HERE".

Speaking at the rally, Khalil called out the university's "anti-Palestinian racism".

"They chose to ruin their brand, their institution, their academic freedom just to protect the interest of the Board of Trustees," Khalil said. "I would say that I hope that Columbia would act, but I know they wouldn't. I know that their anti-Palestinian racism is very rooted in this institution."

"They don't want anyone to speak for Palestine. They don't want anyone to speak for human rights, and that's why I was targeted."

Protesters also noted the detention of activist Leqaa Kordia, who has been imprisoned in ICE detention since March 2025 after being arrested during pro-Palestinian rallies near Columbia.

Mamdani also marked the day by inviting Khalil and his family to his residence to break their fast during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.

In an Instagram post, the mayor shared an image of himself, his wife Rama Dawaji, and Khalil and his wife Noor gathered around the dining table.

"Last night, as we marked the one-year anniversary of his detention, Rama and I were honoured to welcome Mahmoud, Noor and their son Deen to Gracie Mansion to break out fast together," the mayor wrote on Instagram.

Khalil was detained by ICE authorities on 8 March 2025 over his pro-Palestinian activism, despite holding a green card as a lawful permanent resident. The US government added fraud claims to his green card application amid a widening crackdown on support for the Palestinian cause.

President Trump labelled Khalil as a "Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student" and "terrorist sympathiser", vowing to "identify, capture, and deport these terrorist sympathisers from our nation, never to return".

After spending over three months detained, Khalil was released from ICE custody on 20 June 2025, following a federal district judge's order granting him bail after ruling his detention likely unconstitutional.

He had missed the birth of his first child, family holidays, and his graduation from Columbia.

An appeals court later reversed the release order on jurisdictional grounds, potentially allowing for re-detention.

Along with Khalil, activists Rumeysa Ozturk and Mohsen Mahdawi also faced ICE detention in 2025.