Mahmud Khalil says

Mahmud Khalil, Pro-Filistini activists who were detained by immigration and customs enforcement agents of the United States, back to their Columbia University owned apartments in MarchOn Friday, CBS News sat with New York Dick Brainon for an interview.

He discussed the protests in the premises of Columbia and Their case against Trump administration,

“This is retaliated against freedom of expression”

Khalil is a green card holder who Was held in Louisiana For more than three months Trump administration pushed him to deport,

“Inside, originally it was very cold. The food was very bad. Just normally the position. The fact that more than 70 men are in one place, so you do not have privacy,” he said.

A federal judge In June ordered Khalil’s release, while his immigration proceedings play,

Khalil called his arrest sentence to speak against Israel by the Trump administration.

He said, “This is a vengeance against freedom of expression, we want to talk about this administration or dissatisfaction against the establishment of this country,” he said.

The Trump administration did not accuse Khalil of committing any crime, but said he should be deported because he should “”LED activities were aligned with Hamas,

Officials also alleged that the student worker deliberately presented information about himself on his Green Card application and violated the conditions under which he was allowed to enter and live in the United States.

“If you tell us when you apply for your visa,” and by the way, I intend to enter your country as a student and promote all types of Jewish student, antisementic activities, I intend to close your universities. ” If you told us all these things when you apply for a visa, we will deny your visa, ” State Secretary Marco Rubio said in March,

“They have launched a lofty against me”

Khalil is now Case trump administration sued for $ 20 millionHe says that this is “looking for accountability”.

He said, “He has launched a lofty against me. He has incorrectly presented my statements or what I have done, and they have to pay for it,” he said. “They have to pay for it so that it acts as a barrier by doing so against others.”

In his claim, Khalil alleged “False arrest“Malicious prosecution” and “deliberate swelling of emotional crisis. ,

But the Trump administration called Khalil’s claims “absurd” and said that it was “Khalil who terrorized the Jewish students in the campus, condemning them as” hate “hate behavior and rhetoric”.

“I say, show us evidence. The Trump administration has failed to present any evidence,” Khalil said. “Everything I was doing is just opposing a massacre against his people, opposing the killings of thousands of Palestinians in Palestine.”

“Emotions are not facts”

As a graduate student of Columbia, Khalil had a front and center in many Pro-Filistini performance in campus in April 2024,

At that time, some students told CBS News New York that the protests frightened him.

“I left the reason for the campus because I didn’t feel safe and it was Passenger’s holiday,” Andrew Stein said,

“People were exploding on my doors in the middle of the night because I came out publicly and speaking as a proud Jew that supports the state of Israel,” Noa Fe said,

Brainon asked Khalil, “Do you understand why some Jewish students can feel threatened not only on Colombia, but in campuses across the country?”

“We need to distinguish between being uncomfortable and between being unsafe. Therefore, there should be a difference between the two,” Khalil said. “I can understand how these protests can make someone uncomfortable, hearing that your country or a country that you support is doing a massacre. I can understand this, but feelings are not facts.”

Israel and his supporters condemned the allegations that he was a massacre.

“They are just calls for freedom and justice”

Khalil continued, “The mantras that do not like it may be- we can feel, like it has been threatened by it, but it does not mean that you are in danger, and this is when I say that we need to differentiate between emotions and facts.”

The meaning of slogans such as “River from the River to the Sea” and “Intifada” is being deliberately presented “and” deformed “, he said.

“They just say for freedom and justice.” From the river to the sea, “this is a call for freedom, and justice for all.”

“Other people will see it very differently, however, right?” Brainon asked.

“No, because people explain what they want to do,” said Khalil.

He said, “Intifada is just a rebellion, and to make the intifa global to make solidarity global, rebellion against injustice worldwide.”

For the future, Khalil says he would prioritize his family, but will continue the protest.

“When you look back in the last few years, do you ever say to yourself, ah, I must have done it differently?” Brainon asked.

“Of course. I could communicate better, build more bridges, but the main thing, which is opposing a genocide, opposing a war, I would not have changed it,” said Khalil.