Recent Columbia University graduate and Permanent Legal Resident of the USA, Mahmoud Khalil, was arrested on March 8th in New York City and transferred to an ICE detention center in Louisiana. It is not alleged that his actions would have been unlawful had he been a US citizen, so it seems his status as a (legal) immigrant is being used as a condition for is prosecution. This amounts to unequal treatment before the law, a violation of his human rights.
March 12, 2025
The Honorable
Marco Rubio
The Secretary of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Mr. Secretary,
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We are writing in regard to Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. On March 8th, Mr. Khalil was arrested at his home in New York City by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE processing center. It is our understanding that Mr. Khalil is a Permanent Legal Resident of the United States and is being targeted for his involvement in multiple protests at Columbia University since 2023. As far as we know, Mr. Khalil is not being charged with an offense, and his arrest was only made possible by his status as a (legal) immigrant. Furthermore, there seems to be no reason for his continued detention until his case is decided by a court of law. We therefore urge you to release Mr. Khalil immediately.
In addition, the Committee is concerned that Mr. Khalil’s prosecution amounts to unequal treatment before the law. As far as we know, neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the Department of State have alleged that Mr. Khalil took actions that would have been unlawful had they been committed by a US Citizen. It appears that the law is being applied differently to Mr. Khalil based on his status as an immigrant. Equality of all people before the law is protected by Article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the US is a State Party, as well as Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We urge you to release Mr. Khalil immediately. Should evidence of unlawful behavior on his part arise, he should be tried under the same conditions as any US citizen and afforded the same legal rights and protections.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We will be closely following developments in this case.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Cc:
The Honorable
Kristi Noem
Secretary of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528