Mahmoud Khalil‘s wife is at the center of an unfolding political and legal storm, her voice ringing out in desperation as she pleads for the release of her husband. She is eight months pregnant, anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child, and yet, instead of preparing for this life-changing moment in peace, she finds herself thrust into the national spotlight.
Her husband, Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born permanent U.S. resident and recent Columbia University graduate, was arrested on March 9, 2025, by federal immigration officers. He was taken from their home in New York City and transferred more than 1,000 miles away to the Central Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. The move came under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has vowed to crack down on pro-Palestinian student activists, particularly those involved in protests on college campuses.
8 Months Pregnant: Mahmoud Khalil’s Wife Fights for His Freedom
Mahmoud Khalil’s wife, whose name has not been disclosed in legal documents or by their attorney, Amy E. Greer, has spoken out through statements issued to major media outlets. “I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby. I need your help to bring Mahmoud home, so he is here beside me, holding my hand in the delivery room as we welcome our first child into this world,” she said. Her words paint a picture of a family torn apart by an arrest that many believe is politically motivated.
NOW: New York City is out in huge numbers to demand the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and to say HANDS OFF OUR STUDENTS! pic.twitter.com/upeVIeXnjU
— The People’s Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) March 10, 2025
Mahmoud Khalil was not just an ordinary student—he was deeply involved in activism at Columbia University. He played a pivotal role as a mediator between pro-Palestinian protesters and the university administration during last year’s Gaza war protests. He was a prominent member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an organization advocating for the university to divest from Israel. His involvement in these activities made him a target, particularly under the Trump administration’s new executive orders aimed at foreign students participating in protests deemed sympathetic to Hamas.
Despite Khalil being a lawful permanent resident—not a student visa holder—federal agents cited the revocation of his student visa as the reason for his arrest. When he produced documentation proving his green card status, they informed him it had been revoked as well, offering no explanation.
The situation escalated quickly. A federal judge halted Khalil’s deportation on March 10, 2025, pending further hearings, but the case has ignited a firestorm of controversy. An online petition demanding his release has surpassed two million signatures, and thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Lower Manhattan to demand justice. Even as legal battles rage on, Khalil’s wife remains steadfast, describing him as a selfless and devoted man who always put others before himself.
“Mahmoud is my rock, my home, and my happy place,” she said in her statement to Newsweek. “He is always willing to stand up for the oppressed. He is funny, kind, and sometimes a little messy. He constantly puts his needs last when it comes to helping others. I always tell him that sometimes he needs to put himself first. He always responds with, ‘People are made for each other, and you should always be willing to lend a helping hand.’”
The Trump administration, however, has taken a hardline stance. President Trump himself took to Truth Social to celebrate Khalil’s arrest, writing, “Following my previously signed Executive Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come.” His post sent shockwaves through the activist community, with many fearing that Khalil’s case is just the beginning of a broader crackdown.
Khalil’s wife is not the only one fighting for his release. His attorney, Amy Greer, has filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention, arguing that his arrest is an unconstitutional attempt to suppress lawful dissent. “The remarks by government officials, including the President, on social media only confirm the purpose—and illegality—of Mahmoud’s detention,” Greer stated. “He was chosen as an example to stifle entirely lawful dissent in violation of the First Amendment. The government’s objective is as transparent as it is unlawful, and our role as Mahmoud’s lawyers is to ensure it does not prevail.”
Support for Khalil has poured in from all corners, including the Columbia University faculty, immigrant rights organizations, and civil rights activists. New York Attorney General Letitia James has expressed concerns over Khalil’s arrest, stating that her office is closely monitoring the case. Meanwhile, a growing number of Jewish organizations have also condemned the Trump administration’s actions, asserting that silencing pro-Palestinian voices in the name of fighting antisemitism is both dangerous and unconstitutional.
I am extremely concerned about the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, an advocate and legal permanent resident of Palestinian descent.
My office is monitoring the situation, and we are in contact with his attorney.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) March 10, 2025
Khalil remains in Louisiana, awaiting his court hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. His wife, back in New York, continues to fight—not just for her husband’s freedom, but for the future of their child, who, in just a few weeks, will be born into a world where the fate of their father hangs in the balance. “Please release Mahmoud now,” she pleads. The battle is far from over, and the question remains: Will Khalil be reunited with his spouse in time for the birth of their child, or will the legal and political forces against him succeed in making him a symbol of a new era of immigration crackdowns?
