MA Rep. Meets With Ex-Columbia Student Detained By ICE

WORCESTER, MA — A state representative and Worcester native met with the former Columbia graduate student who was detained by ICE and spent three months in a detention center.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester), the ranking member of the House Rules Committee, met with Mahmoud Khalil, 30, according to a post he shared on social media Tuesday.

“I met with him in detention when he spent 104 days behind bars—targeted by Trump for speaking out against Netanyahu’s vicious war in Gaza,” Rep. McGovern wrote on X. “Silencing dissent is un-American. We must defend the right to speak freely!”

Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident, was held in detention in Louisiana from March 8 to June 20. That was after he acted as a spokesperson during large campus demonstrations against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and the war in Gaza in 2024.

Most recently, Khalil's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. They are seeking $20 million in damages, alleging that Khalil was falsely imprisoned and maliciously prosecuted as the government attempted to deport him for his role in pro-Palestinian protests.

Multiple other New England leaders have met with Khalil this summer. That includes Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who both shared images from their meeting on social media.

See Related: Worcester City Councilor Is 'Unapologetic' After Protesting ICE Agents: Report