Activist Mahmoud Khalil returns to Columbia University — Asharq Al-Awsat

Algerian-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil returned to Columbia University in New York, United States, on Tuesday, October 27, for the first time since his arrest in 2025 and three months of detention by U.S. immigration authorities. He took part in an event dedicated to his new memoir, attended by about 100 people, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

Return to campus

The 31-year-old Khalil called his presence at the university a victory. According to him, Columbia University had tried to erase him and Palestinian voices from the campus.

Khalil was one of the prominent figures in protests against the war in Gaza in the United States. He was arrested as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign against pro-Palestinian activists. The activist also said that the university had failed to protect him from persecution before his detention.

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Khalil was released in June 2025 after three months in detention without criminal charges being filed.

Criticism of the university

The activist criticized the university’s response to the 2024 student demonstrations. At that time, the institution allowed New York police to clear protesters from its Manhattan campus. The university said the protests posed a security threat.

Some Jewish groups on social media opposed Khalil’s return. A Columbia University representative told U.S. media that the institution supports faculty members’ right to organize academic events and that inviting a speaker does not mean the university endorses that person’s views.