Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil claims immigration detention ‘felt like kidnapping’

Anti-Israel activistic Mahmoud Khalil said that his migration detention "felt similar kidnapping" successful his archetypal interrogation since being released.

"All the ‘Know Your Rights’ accusation and fliers I work and familiarized myself with were useless," Khalil told the New York Times successful an nonfiction published Sunday. "There are nary rights successful specified situations." 

"It felt similar kidnapping," helium added.

Khalil, a Columbia University postgraduate student, was released connected bail from an migration detention halfway connected Friday pursuing an order by U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz, who said it was "highly, highly unusual" to support a ineligible U.S. nonmigratory successful custody who doesn’t person accusations of convulsive offenses oregon that he's a imaginable formation risk. 

NEWLY RELEASED MAHMOUD KHALIL SPOTTED BACK AT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Anti-Israel activistic Mahmoud Khalil told the New York Times that his migration detention "felt similar kidnapping." (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In March, Khalil was arrested astatine Columbia implicit his anti-Israel activism connected campus, and an immigration justice ruled helium could beryllium removed from the state based connected a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that said his field protests were not aligned with U.S. overseas argumentation interests.

The Department of Homeland Security has besides said that Khalil purposely did not reveal that helium was employed with the Syrian bureau successful the British Embassy successful Beirut erstwhile helium applied for imperishable U.S. residency.

Khalil told the New York Times that his anti-isael protests were not "antisemitic."

"I was not doing thing antisemitic," Khalil said. "I was virtually advocating for the close of my people. I was virtually advocating for an extremity of a genocide. I was advocating that the tuition fees that I and different students wage don’t spell toward investing successful weapons manufacturers. What’s antisemitic astir this?"

He besides said helium did not deliberation that his efforts would beryllium challenged. 

JUDGE ORDERS ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL TO BE RELEASED ON BAIL

Former Columbia University postgraduate pupil Mahmoud Khalil poses aft his merchandise from national migration detention successful Jena, La., Friday, June 20, 2025. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

"I came present with a wide knowing of state of expression," helium said. "Even erstwhile it comes to Palestine. I ne'er had immoderate benignant of interest that speaking up for Palestine would really get maine successful jail."

Rubio has defended the Trump administration's apprehension of Khalil, saying that if idiosyncratic applies for a visa to the United States and riles up anti-Semitic activities, their visa volition beryllium denied oregon revoked. 

"It was precise ironic. I virtually laughed," he said, adding, "What did I bash that I’m a overseas argumentation menace to the United States? Did I, like, damage, the U.S.-Israeli relationship? Because it doesn’t look so."

He told the New York Times that helium believes wealth determines justness successful America. 

"If you person money, determination is regularisation of law," helium said. "If you are abiding by the precise constrictive explanation of what this medication is defining an American worth to be, you whitethorn get regularisation of law. Otherwise you person to combat bony and nail to get your owed process and your rights."

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Columbia University pupil Mahmoud Khalil told the New York Times that helium believes wealth determines justness successful America.  (Getty Images)

Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.