Mahmoud Khalil is an Algerian-Palestinian activist who gained prominence during the 2024 Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University. While a graduate student at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, he served as a negotiator and spokesperson for protests in solidarity with Palestine during the Gaza war. In March 2025, Khalil was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the second presidency of Donald Trump. He remained in detention from March 8 to June 20, 2025, without being accused of a crime.