Mahmoud Khalil Is Being Charged Under an Anti-Communist Law
Mahmoud Khalil is a law-abiding permanent resident of the US. The Trump administration is attempting to deport him for his political opinions using the Immigration and Nationality Act, a Red Scare–era law that was originally aimed at Communists.
People gather outside of a New York court to protest the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil at Foley Square on March 12, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)
Mahmoud Khalil is a law-abiding permanent resident of the US, but the Trump administration is prosecuting him for his political opinions using a law that was originally aimed at Communists.
The news, broken today by the Washington Post, transforms what was until now a story about free speech and advocacy for Palestine into a much broader episode of class struggle.
In their efforts to deport Khalil, the Trump administration has appealed to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Enacted in 1952, the bill restricted immigration based on race and nationality quotas — but it also contained three crucial provisions:
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