Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University and legal U.S. resident, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March 2025, an experience he detailed in his memoir, *No Land to Stand On: Notes From Detention*. Born and raised in a Syrian refugee camp, Khalil fled Syria for Lebanon before moving to the United States in 2022 to pursue graduate studies. His arrest came amid heightened tensions following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2024, during which Khalil was active in campus protests opposing Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Despite holding a green card and being married to an American citizen, Khalil was apprehended at his Manhattan apartment in front of his pregnant wife, then flown to a detention center in Louisiana. For nearly two days, he was denied phone access, and when finally able to speak with his wife, he learned the White House had publicly labeled him a “radical foreign pro-Hamas student” and a “terrorist sympathizer.” A memo from then-Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Khalil’s presence undermined U.S. efforts to combat antisemitism domestically and abroad, declaring him deportable based on “past, current or expected beliefs, statements or associations that are otherwise unlawful,” at the discretion of the secretary of state.

Khalil, maintaining that none of the accusations were true, criticized the use of such authority as effectively permitting the removal of a lawful resident for peaceful expression of beliefs. His memoir chronicles his ordeal within the detention system, highlighting harsh conditions characterized by constant bright lighting, freezing temperatures, and the denial of basic privacy or comfort. Khalil was refused a furlough to attend the birth of his first child, a painful deprivation echoed by fellow detainees who recounted being separated from young children for extended periods.

With the support of an extensive legal team and media coverage, Khalil secured limited family visitation and was released from detention in June 2025. However, the government continues to pursue his deportation, citing both the national security threat claim and alleged misrepresentations on his green card application. His attorneys have described the charges as retaliatory and intend to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

Throughout his memoir, Khalil reflects on the contradictions between the ideals of rule of law, free speech, and family unity, and the realities of detention and state power that often suppress these principles. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and adherence to rules, expressing cautious hope that legal and moral standards can prevail amid arbitrary enforcement. His experience underscores ongoing debates over immigration policy, civil liberties, and the boundaries of government authority in the United States.