Mahmoud Khalil’s lawyer finally speaks privately with client

Mahmoud Khalil’s future remains unclear.

The recent Columbia University graduate, who participated in pro-Palestinian protests on campus last year, is being held in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a detention center in Louisiana.

He was arrested by ICE officers on March 8 in the lobby of his university-owned apartment in front of his wife, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant. Upon his arrest, authorities told him that his student visa had been canceled. But Khalil isn’t a visa holder. Khalil, who is a Syrian national of Palestinian descent, is a lawful permanent U.S. resident. In court documents, his lawyer, Amy Greer, said that authorities had revoked his green card.

He has not been charged with a crime. The Trump administration accuses him of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. deems a terrorist group. The president said that Khalil’s arrest is “the first of many to come” of students “who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.” This comes after Trump signed an executive order in January, which cites a federal law authorizing the deportation of any foreign national who “endorses or espouses terrorist activity.”

In an interview with Morning Edition‘s Michel Martin, Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar was unable to cite specific examples of Khalil’s conduct that would constitute such activity.

Khalil’s attorneys insist he is not a supporter of Hamas and argue that his arrest is a violation of the First Amendment. Now, a federal judge in New York is considering the legality of Khalil’s detention and whether or not to order his release.

In an interview with All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro, Greer said that his legal team had finally been able to speak with him privately. A judge ruled Wednesday that he must be granted a privileged call with his attorneys. Greer said he is “doing the best he can in this moment.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Interview highlights

“You’re afraid to go to class because these lunatics are running around with covers on their face, screaming, terrifying things. If you told us that’s what you intended to do when you came to America, we would have never let you in. And if you do it, once you get in, we’re going to revoke it and kick you out.”

How do you respond to that?