Who is Mahmoud Khalil, the protester the Trump admin wants to deport?

By Susan Davis,

Ximena Bustillo, Mara Liasson

Published March 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM EDT

While studying at Columbia University, Khalil helped lead pro-Palestinian protests on campus relating to Israel's war with Gaza. He was taken into ICE custody Saturday, and the Trump administration has said it wants to deport Khalil as part of a wider crackdown on what it calls anti-Semitic protests on college campuses — even though Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the United States.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, immigration policy reporter Ximena Bustillo, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

The podcast is produced by Bria Suggs & Kelli Wessinger and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.
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Susan Davis

Susan Davis is a congressional correspondent for NPR and a co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast. She has covered Congress, elections, and national politics since 2002 for publications including USA TODAY, The Wall Street Journal, National Journal and Roll Call. She appears regularly on television and radio outlets to discuss congressional and national politics, and she is a contributor on PBS's Washington Week with Robert Costa. She is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., and a Philadelphia native.

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Ximena Bustillo

Ximena Bustillo is a multi-platform reporter at NPR covering politics out of the White House and Congress on air and in print.

Mara Liasson

Mara Liasson is a national political correspondent for NPR. Her reports can be heard regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazine programs Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Liasson provides extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, DC — focusing on the White House and Congress — and also reports on political trends beyond the Beltway.

See stories by Mara Liasson