24 DAILY NEWS – A recently released FBI file sheds new light on the events leading up to the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student and Palestinian rights activist.
## Background of the Case
On March 6, 2022, just two days before Khalil was detained by unidentified officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at his home, the FBI received an anonymous tip. This tip incorrectly identified Khalil as a 22-year-old who allegedly called for “violence on behalf of Hamas.” He was 31 at the time of his arrest.
According to heavily redacted FBI documents, the agency closed its investigation into the tip by March 19, 2025, concluding that Khalil “does not warrant further FBI investigation.” Despite this decision, ICE proceeded to remove Khalil thousands of miles away to a detention center in Louisiana.
“It’s unclear if the FBI tip was directly related to Khalil’s ICE arrest,” noted Hamid Bendaas,
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