Palestinian rights advocate and legal activist
A California judge has ruled that U.S. visa-revocation and deportation policies targeting noncitizen students for pro-Palestinian advocacy violate the First and Fifth Amendments. The decision follows a Boston ruling and underscores free-speech protections on campuses amid heated debate over Middle East coverage.
Mahmoud Khalil has filed a federal civil‑rights lawsuit against Columbia University, its trustees and the SIPA dean, alleging the university’s ‘‘deliberate indifference’’ allowed doxxing, harassment and a false narrative that helped prompt his 104‑day ICE detention in 2025. The suit asks to restore campus access, lift the Palestine Working Group suspension and seek damages.
Palestinian-born Salah Sarsour remains in the United States as a Chicago judge has ruled he is deportable on foreign policy grounds, while rejecting the claim that he lied on his green card application. Attorneys say appeals are likely; Sarsour warns deportation would end his life in the West Bank, and his case has drawn support from his mosque and rights groups.
A Kashmir-born filmmaker who sought asylum in the United States has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Washington Dulles International Airport. The advocate group Free Arfat Sheikh says he arrived in 2019 for graduate studies, sought asylum in 2020, and is currently held at a Virginia detention facility while a bond assessment and hearing proceed. ICE has not commented.
The Khalil detention case is moving toward the Supreme Court after the 3rd Circuit’s hold, with Khalil seeking judicial review of immigration-detention decisions tied to his pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The government argues detentions align with policy interests as several circuits disagree on jurisdiction and timing for review.
Mahmoud Khalil, a central figure in Gaza-war protests, has returned to Columbia University for a memoir event, his first appearance since detention in 2025. He accuses the university of erasing Palestinian voices and cites ongoing legal battles over deportation. Columbia defends its stance, emphasizing academic freedom and dialogue.
The United States has refused to participate in its Universal Periodic Review at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, prompting the council to postpone the review until January. The U.S. has said it gives "no credibility" to the council after formally withdrawing last year; rights groups and some envoys have demanded renewed scrutiny of U.S. policies.