Mahmoud Khalil rips ‘repressive’ Trump admin for eroding his rights in Washington Post op-ed
Columbia University anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil accused the Trump administration of eroding his constitutional rights in a Thursday column for The Washington Post.
Khalil, who was approved for deportation by a U.S. immigration judge last week at the behest of the U.S. government, argued in the piece that he is a victim of America’s "Democracy of convenience," and that his rights have been erased because he is not aligned to those in power.
"I hope this writing will startle you into understanding that a democracy for some — a democracy of convenience — is no democracy at all. I hope it will shake you into acting before it is too late," Mahmoud wrote.
Judge Jamee Comans ruled in Louisiana last Friday that Khalil, 30, can be deported, saying that the U.S. government met its burden of proof to remove him. Immigration agents arrested the green card holder on Columbia-owned property last month. He was accused of being a ringleader of pro-Palestinian protests at the university. The DHS has also alleged that he "led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization," though Khalil has denied the allegations.
Prior to his ruling, Comans ordered the federal government to provide evidence justifying its attempt to deport the activist. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded in a roughly one-and-a-half-page letter sent to the court on last Wednesday, citing a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify Khalil's removal from the U.S.
Khalil’s Post column provided his response to Comans' ruling and the government’s case against him, calling it "baseless." He argued that the U.S. government’s "’evidence’" is "lifted directly from sensationalized tabloids."
He proceeded to call out the Trump immigration agenda, accusing it of undermining American principles of liberty.
"Earlier that day, I sifted through letters from supporters. Two postage stamps displayed the American flag, one stating ‘liberty forever,’ the other proclaiming ‘justice forever.’ The irony is stunning, especially regarding what I’ve learned about how the administration exploits immigration law to enforce its repressive agenda."
MAHMOUD KHALIL BLAMES 'ANTI-PALESTINIAN RACISM' FOR ARREST IN FIRST STATEMENT SINCE ICE DETAINMENT
He also said the case against him has been "running roughshod over due process."
"Why should protesting Israel’s indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians result in the erosion of my constitutional rights?" Khalil asked.
The activist described how elements of his persecution reminded him of how the U.S. government treated Japanese Americans during World War II.
"The incarceration of 70,000 American citizens of Japanese descent is a reminder that rhetoric of justice and freedom obscures the reality that, all too often, America has been a democracy of convenience. Rights are granted to those who align with power," he said, adding, "For the poor, for people of color, for those who resist injustice, rights are but words written on water."
He then said the White House’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators proves "how afraid the White House is of the idea of Palestine’s freedom entering the mainstream."
Khalil also compared his fear while being incarcerated to that of Viktor Frankl, the Jewish psychiatrist who survived a Nazi concentration camp and wrote about it in his classic book, "Man’s Search For Meaning."
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"I feel ashamed to compare my conditions in ICE detention to Nazi concentration camps, yet, some aspects of Frankl’s experience resonate: not knowing what fate awaits me; seeing resignation and defeat in my fellow detainees."
Towards the end of the column, he wrote, "I write this letter as the sun rises, hoping that the suspension of my rights will raise alarm bells that yours are already in jeopardy."
Multiple prominent social media users ripped both Khalil’s piece and the outlet for publishing it.
Attorney and conservative commentator Marina Medvin posted to X, "WaPo posted Mahmoud Khalil’s opinion piece on how he’s a victim of this evil America. Yet all the while, America just wants to help Mahmoud find his way back home to Algeria so he doesn’t have to feel victimized by us anymore. Khalil is Kurdish, born in Syria, a citizen of Algeria."
Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer stated, "Shame on the WP for publishing this AND for withholding from readers the fact that Khalil, a foreign citizen, belongs to a group that advocates for the ‘eradication of western civilization’ and espouses ‘militancy’. Don’t clean Khali up. Deport him."
The Washington Post did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment.