Arrested Pro-Palestinian Activist Misses Birth of His First Child
(MENAFN) Mahmoud Khalil, a recent alumnus of Columbia University, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers due to his involvement in demonstrations supporting Palestine.
As a result of his detention, Khalil was not permitted to be present for the birth of his first child on Monday.
Immigration officials rejected a plea for his provisional release, according to a statement from his wife.
In remarks provided to a news agency, his spouse Noor Abdalla described the decision as “purposeful” and accused ICE of inflicting harm on their family.
She stated, “Despite our request for ICE to allow Mahmoud to attend the birth, they denied his temporary release to meet our son.”
Abdalla expressed deep frustration, saying, “This was a purposeful decision by ICE to make me, Mahmoud, and our son suffer.”
Abdalla further asserted that ICE, alongside the Trump administration, deprived their family of irreplaceable experiences in what she saw as an effort to repress Khalil’s advocacy for “Palestinian freedom.”
She also emphasized that her husband is being held “unjustly” over 1,000 miles from their residence and away from his newborn. “My son and I should not be navigating his first days on earth without Mahmoud,” she said.
The media reported that Khalil was at least able to witness his child’s birth over a phone call, referencing a representative from his legal counsel.
Fortunately, both Abdalla and the infant are said to be healthy.
As of now, neither the Department of Homeland Security nor ICE have provided any official remarks on the situation.
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