Khalil, detained in the US misses to see his newborn son

Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist, missed the birth of his first child on Monday after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) denied his request to attend, keeping him in detention as he awaits deportation.

His wife, Noor Abdalla, who gave birth in New York, described ICE's decision as a deliberate act of cruelty. "My son and I should not be navigating his first days on earth without Mahmoud," she said in a statement.

"ICE and the Trump administration have stolen these precious moments from our family in an attempt to silence Mahmoud’s support for Palestinian freedom." Khalil was only able to listen to part of the delivery over the phone from a detention centre in Louisiana.

According to the New York Times, Khalil’s lawyers proposed several options to allow him to be present at the birth, including wearing an ankle monitor and adhering to scheduled check-ins. "A two-week furlough in this civil detention matter would be both reasonable and humane so that both parents can be present for the birth of their first child," the legal team wrote.

Melissa Harper, director of ICE's New Orleans field office, denied the request, stating the decision was made "after consideration of the submitted information and a review of your client’s case." Khalil’s lawyer, Marc Van Der Hout, said the decision showed "an utter lack of humanity", noting that Khalil had not been deemed a danger to the community or a flight risk. "It was definitely just punitive," he said.

Khalil, a US green card holder, was detained by immigration authorities who accuse him of spreading antisemitism and leading "activities aligned to Hamas" - a designation Khalil firmly denies.

Despite public outcry and widespread attention to his case, a US judge ruled that Khalil could be deported, concluding the government had "established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable".

Khalil had been active in campus protests at Columbia University, where he was a student. He played a prominent role in demonstrations calling for Palestinian freedom and criticising the university’s ties to Israel amid the war on Gaza.

His arrest came amid a wider crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism by the Trump administration, which has increasingly framed such activism as anti-Semitic.

Other students targeted include Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk, whose visa was revoked, and Mohsen Mahdawi, who was detained by ICE while attending an interview for US citizenship.