New York — Noor Abdalla, wife of Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, has announced the birth of their son in New York, while her husband remains in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention in Louisiana, reported the India Today.
Despite repeated appeals, Mahmoud was denied temporary release to witness the birth of his child. “I welcomed our son into the world earlier today without Mahmoud by my side,” Noor said in a heartfelt statement. “This was a purposeful decision by ICE to make me, Mahmoud, and our son suffer.”
Khalil, who was born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, met Noor during a volunteer program in Lebanon in 2016. His continued detention has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, who say his case reflects growing crackdowns on pro-Palestinian voices in the United States.
Mahmoud was reportedly able to watch the birth over a phone call but was not granted physical presence, a decision Noor describes as “inhuman and unjust.”
She has vowed to continue advocating for her husband’s release and their family’s reunion.
