New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil and his family for a Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion, marking one year since Khalil’s immigration detention. Mamdani shared the gathering publicly, calling Khalil’s experience a period of hardship and courage and declaring that Khalil belongs in New York City.

Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former graduate student, was arrested by federal immigration agents in March 2025 despite holding permanent residency. The administration at the time sought to deport him, accusing him of fraud related to his residency application and describing him as a foreign policy threat. Officials also alleged he supported Hamas and cited a rarely used statute allowing deportation based on beliefs deemed harmful to foreign policy interests.

A federal judge later ruled Khalil’s detention unconstitutional, and he was released after 104 days in a Louisiana facility. During his detention, he missed his university graduation and the birth of his son. Following his release, Khalil resumed public advocacy for Palestinian rights and filed a 20 million dollar claim against the federal government, alleging unlawful detention and mistreatment.

Mamdani has framed Khalil’s case as part of a broader issue concerning freedom of speech. Khalil has said the experience strengthened his resolve to continue protesting and advocating for Palestinian rights despite the risks he faced.