Mahmoud Halil-Propalestinian activist and green card holder, detained by immigration and customs application this week, he has heard the federal agents say that the White House is seeking an update to his detention, his lawyers said.
“He was surrounded by many DHS agents or people who thought they were DHS agents and believed that he saw or heard, at the time of call, one of them said that the White House wanted an update for what was happening,” says Sissai, a lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
“We have every reason to believe, as we claim in the petition, that many people in the government’s executive branch have participated, including the White House,” Sisai said.
Halil participated in student protests at Columbia University, urging the institution to be released and shortened with Israel, and he participated in negotiations with the University Administration.
“His sole purpose was to get Colombian University to get rid of his complicity with Israeli government crimes in Gaza and the west coast,” said Ramsay Kassem, Clear, a group representing Halil.
One owns posters before hearing to detention for the Palestinian activist and postgraduate from the University of Colombia Mahmoud Halil in New York, March 12, 2025.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
The White House and Colombian University did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Colombian University said in a statement on Thursday: “We will continue to work in support of our community, including the protection of the privacy of our students, in this challenge and we remain steadfastly engaged in our values and our mission.”
The Trump administration claims that Halil is spreading “pro-Hamian propaganda flyers with the Hamas logo” without providing evidence.
“I have those flyers on my desk. They were provided to me by the Ministry of Homeland Security,” said White House press secretary Carolyn Levit.
“All these Flyers tales are just nonsense. There’s no truth about it,” Kasem said.
Halil’s lawyers said their briefing for the proposal to force the government to return Khalil to New York to be completed by the beginning of next week. His lawyers hope the judge will decide next week.
“Mahmoud was moved to numerous state lines and subsequently transferred to a remote prison in Louisiana hours after his petition Habeas, the intentional and the respondent act and an attempt to intervene in the Jurisdiction of the New York Court,” Sissai said.
During the weeks leading to his arrest, Halil said he was afraid of his safety, as he and other students at the University of Colombia advocate for the rights of the Palestinians, were experiencing increased doxing and harassment, his lawyers said.
Protesters gather in support of Mahmoud Khalil outside Marshall’s court in Turgood, during a hearing regarding the arrest of Khalil, in New York, March 12, 2025.
Charly Triballeau/AFP through Getty Images
“It’s like an almost daily event where Twitter, social media publications showing students of students, identifying where they are, where they live, who they connect with while they mark the ICS while marking DHS while marking the President, marking the Secretary of State,” Amy Greer, a lawyer with Drael & Lewis, who represents Khalil, said on Friday.
“He is really afraid that what happened to others,” Greer said.
Khalil’s lawyers accused the Trump administration of avenging Halil for his protests and activism to support the Palestinians, who claim his speech was protected from the first amendment.
“The Trump administration is adopting an extremely broad and unconstitutional perspective on how material support for terrorism laws in these contexts is applied,” Brian House, a senior lawyer at ACLU, told a press conference.
Mahmoud Halil spoke to the media members of the Rafa camp rebellion at Columbia University during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas Group in Gaza, USA, June 1, 2024 Reuters/Gina Mun/File Photo
Jeenah Moon/Reuters
“The Supreme Court was very clear in a case called a project for a humanitarian law, that the federal materials supported the laws of terrorism, did not apply to independent intercession, even when this intercession explicitly supports a foreign terrorist organization, a statement said,” I support Hamas.
The first amendment also defends the freedom of speech of non -American citizens, House said. Halil is a permanent US resident
“The Trump Administration punishes Mr Halil for his speech about Palestine. This mutes him and sets him up as an example of cooling the millions of green card holders and other non-country-free, saying anything that President Trump can attract.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday to X that the department “will cancel visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so that they can be deported.”
Khalil’s lawyers denied that Halil had some relationships with Hamas and said his activism was in support of Palestinian rights.
House added: “If the administration can do this to Mr. Halil because of his speech about Palestine, it can do it to any non -non -non -non -Genuerian who holds a global problems with hot buttons, including the war between Russia and Ukraine, with tariffs being imposed on US allies or the rise of extreme right political parties in Europe.”
DHS spokesman Tricia McLaughlin said Halil was detained by ICE “in support of President Trump’s executive orders banning anti -Semitism.”
“Halil’s activities have led the activities brought into line with Hamas, a particular terrorist organization,” McChafflin said in a statement on Sunday night.
