New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted Mahmoud Khalil at Gracie Mansion this week for an Iftar dinner during Ramadan, drawing sharp criticism from the White House, pro-Israel advocates, and Jewish community leaders.
Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year and became the early public face of the left’s opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement push. The Trump administration has accused Khalil of supporting Hamas and acting against American foreign policy interests.
Mamdani posted photos of the dinner to social media, showing himself, his wife Rama Duwaji, and Khalil gathered at the official mayoral residence. The images triggered immediate backlash.
“No one should be feting the anti-American, pro-terrorist activities of Mahmoud Khalil, who made his name as a ringleader of violent anti-American and anti-Semitic university protests that harmed American foreign policy interests,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the New York Post.
Mamdani defended the gathering Thursday, framing it as a defense of constitutional rights.
“As the mayor of New York City, I believe it is my responsibility to fight for the safety and for the rights of each and every New Yorker,” Mamdani said. “The only charge that was levied against him was the exercising of his First Amendment rights.” He added that Khalil “and any New Yorker should be able to exercise their First Amendment rights in this city without fear of the kind of punishment that was inflicted upon him.”
Khalil’s detention drew protests from the left when he was arrested. The Trump administration argued his presence in the United States posed foreign policy risks. His case has worked through federal court proceedings in recent months.
