Key Facts

• Mahmoud Khalil is a 31-year-old activist born in Palestine and holds a US green card.
• He is married to an American citizen and has an American child.
• Khalil was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for 104 days last year in Louisiana.
• The government claims his views threaten US foreign policy, while supporters say his activities are legal free speech.
• A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked his re-detention as his case proceeds.
• Khalil’s lawyers intend to ask the US Supreme Court to clarify government powers over detention and deportation related to free speech.
• The case is linked to the Trump administration’s focus on pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses.
• The US Secretary of State argued that allowing Khalil to stay would undermine efforts to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students.