The War on Immigrants
What Comes Next in Mahmoud Khalil’s Fight Against Deportation
Despite Friday’s immigration court ruling, the legal fight to keep Khalil in the U.S. may stretch months or years.
Jonah Valdez
Jonah Valdez is a reporter for The Intercept covering politics, U.S. foreign policy, Israel and Palestine, human rights issues, and protest movements for social justice.
He previously was a staff writer with the Los Angeles Times where he joined the paper as an inaugural member of the L.A. Times Fellowship. For the Times, Valdez covered stories about environmental justice, gentrification, transportation, labor, pop culture, and the Hollywood industry. Valdez got his start covering local news for the Southern California News Group. His work can also be found in The Guardian, Voice of San Diego, and the San Diego-Union Tribune. He was raised in San Diego and now resides in Los Angeles, where he also writes poetry and is working on his first collection.
He previously was a staff writer with the Los Angeles Times where he joined the paper as an inaugural member of the L.A. Times Fellowship. For the Times, Valdez covered stories about environmental justice, gentrification, transportation, labor, pop culture, and the Hollywood industry. Valdez got his start covering local news for the Southern California News Group. His work can also be found in The Guardian, Voice of San Diego, and the San Diego-Union Tribune. He was raised in San Diego and now resides in Los Angeles, where he also writes poetry and is working on his first collection.
Contacts:
- jonah.valdez@theintercept.com
- @jonahmv.05 on Signal
- @jonahmv on X
Posts:
The Case Against Mahmoud Khalil Hinges on Vague “Antisemitism” Claim
The Trump administration filed no new evidence in its case against Khalil, according to a new filing ahead of Friday's hearing.
Chilling Dissent
Trump Appears to Be Targeting Muslim and “Non-White” Students for Deportation
Students from Muslim-majority countries as well as Asia and Africa are having their visas revoked with little or no explanation.
Chilling Dissent
In Trump’s America, You Can Be Disappeared for Writing an Op-Ed
The Trump administration’s detention of Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk rests on an opinion article she wrote in 2024, her lawyers said in a filing.
Israel’s War on Gaza
Attacks on Hamdan Ballal’s Village Ramped Up After He Won an Oscar
Since the Academy Awards, the “No Other Land” filmmaker’s village in the West Bank has been targeted by Israeli settlers.
Chilling Dissent
He Sued Trump Over Free Speech. Then ICE Demanded He Turn Himself In.
Cornell student Momodou Taal’s lawyers said the demand was “retribution” for his lawsuit against the crackdown on pro-Palestine speech.
Israel’s War on Gaza
Victims of UCLA Mob Attack Sue to “Hold the Aggressors Accountable”
Pro-Palestine protesters at UCLA who were attacked by a mob allege that the school did little to stop nearly five hours of violence.
Israel’s War on Gaza
Israel Violated the Gaza Ceasefire From the Start. Why Won’t the Media Tell You That?
Long before this week’s deadly strikes, Israel failed to abide by the terms of its ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The Legal Argument That Could Set Mahmoud Khalil Free
Lawyers trying to free the Columbia University activist point to a legal exception undermining the Trump administration’s argument.
Chilling Dissent
ICE Secretly Hauled Mahmoud Khalil to Louisiana as Retaliation, Lawyers Allege
By moving the campus activist to a new jurisdiction, ICE disrupted court proceedings and limited his legal access, his attorneys say.