On March 11, student protesters at Loyola University gathered to protest for the release of Mahmoud Khalil and to stand in support of Palestine and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. They protested against deportations in the U.S., President Donald Trump and his administration, and emphasized the importance of free speech.

During the protest, some speakers addressed the situation involving Khalil. Senior English major Nadir Benslimane said Khalil was detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security by order of Trump after speaking out at Columbia University in support of Palestine regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The protesters said that despite being a permanent resident with documentation, Khalil is still being held in a Louisiana detention facility by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Protestors were upset that Trump defunded Columbia for $400 million in federal funding and is now actively allowing ICE to invade the campus, threatening the rights of students, particularly immigrant students.

The protesters wore cultural attire and held signs that read, “Free Khalil,” “End ICE,” “Free Speech,” and “Say No to ICE.”

They shouted, “Shame,” “Stand up, fight back,” “President Cole, tell ICE to go away,” “The students united will never be defeated,” and “Loyola, what do we say? Tell ICE to go away,” and “Immigrants are here to stay,” among others.

“The Trump administration will ignore the law for the sake of their bigotry,” Benslimane said. “When Trump threatens to take away Loyola’s federal grants, will Xavier Cole sing the same tune? I’m not sure. What I do know is we have to stand together in solidarity and against injustices when we see them.”

President Cole has yet to respond to the protest, however, students from the Students for a Democratic Society organization, along with other student groups at Loyola, are exercising their right to free speech.

“We have to stand together and we have the power to speak up,” Benslimane said.