NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted a Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion, where he invited controversial activist Mahmoud Khalil, along with his wife and young son. In an Instagram post on Monday, Mamdani stated that he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, hosted Khalil and his family for iftar (breaking the fast) during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “Last night, marking exactly one year since he was detained, Rama and I were honored to welcome Mahmoud, Noor, and their son, Deen, to Gracie Mansion to break fast together,” Mamdani wrote. A photo accompanying the post shows Khalil sitting at the meal, while the mayor's wife stands nearby with a plate of food. Context of Controversy Mahmoud Khalil, born in Syria and a former graduate student at Columbia University, was arrested by ICE early last year and faces the threat of deportation from the U.S. The Trump administration has accused Khalil of fraud in his green card application and alleged that he has connections to pro-Hamas activities. The government cited a rarely used provision in immigration law that allows for the deportation of non-citizens if their views are deemed a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests. Khalil was detained for three months at a federal detention center in Louisiana before a three-judge panel in New Jersey ruled that his immigration case should proceed through the standard legal process. The Mayor's Stance Mayor Mamdani has repeatedly spoken out in defense of Khalil. In his latest post, he described the past year as a difficult time that also demonstrated the activist's “great courage.” “Mahmoud is a New Yorker, and he belongs in New York,” Mamdani wrote. Khalil's son was born while he was still being held at an ICE facility in another state. The child will turn one on April 21, 2026.

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