New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted pro-Palestine student activist Mahmoud Khalil for iftar at Gracie Mansion, marking one year since Khalil was illegally detained by United States (US) authorities over protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Khalil attended the gathering with his wife and son. Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji hosted the iftar at the official residence of the New York City mayor, Gracie Mansion. The mayor shared a photo from the gathering on Instagram.

In the caption, Mamdani referred to the events Khalil faced over the past year and wrote that it had been a year of “profound hardship and profound courage” for the activist.

Khalil was arrested on March 9, 2025, from his residence at Columbia University in New York by agents of the US Department of Homeland Security. Authorities detained him after he participated in protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Referring to the arrest and the period that followed, Mamdani wrote that Khalil was “detained by federal agents, flown to Louisiana, and then held in an ICE facility for months”. He added that during this period the activist was “forced to miss the birth of his first child”.

The mayor linked the detention to Khalil’s participation in protests, stating that the actions taken against him came as a result of the activist “exercising his First Amendment rights in protesting the ongoing genocide in Palestine”.

Mamdani also referred to the public response that followed Khalil’s detention, saying people across New York mobilised in support of the student activist. According to the mayor, the support campaign contributed to Khalil’s release and allowed him to reunite with his family.

“We were honoured to host Mahmoud and his family,” Mamdani wrote in the post, adding that Khalil “is a New Yorker, and he belongs in New York City”.

Khalil was among the first pro-Palestinian student activists to be detained during the second term of US President Donald Trump. His detention came as the administration moved against students involved in protests over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, where more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed.

During his presidential campaign, Trump had said his administration would take action against pro-Palestinian student protesters on US campuses.

Khalil’s detention drew criticism from rights organisations, academics and members of the public.

The activist remained in detention for months before a series of court proceedings led to his release in June. However, a later appeal overturned the ruling that resulted in his release, though Khalil has not been detained again by US authorities.