Federal immigration officials apprehended a Palestinian activist on Saturday who was a key figure in the Columbia University demonstrations against Israel, marking a significant intensification of the Trump administration’s commitment to detain and deport student protesters, reports AP.
Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia until last December, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at his university-owned apartment. His attorney, Amy Greer, informed The Associated Press that ICE agents claimed to be acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa. When Greer clarified that Khalil was a permanent U.S. resident with a green card, the agents asserted that his residency status was being revoked instead.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Khalil’s arrest, stating it was in line with President Trump’s executive orders against anti-Semitism. This marks the first known deportation action under Trump’s crackdown on students involved in last spring’s campus protests against the Gaza war, with the administration alleging that such activists forfeited their right to remain in the U.S. by supporting Hamas.
McLaughlin suggested Khalil’s arrest was directly tied to his role in the protests, alleging that he led activities connected to Hamas, a designated terrorist group.
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During the arrest, ICE officers also allegedly threatened to detain Khalil’s wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, according to Greer. Initially, authorities informed Khalil’s legal team that he was being held at a detention centre in Elizabeth, New Jersey, but when his wife attempted to visit, she was told he was not there. As of Sunday night, Greer said his whereabouts remained unknown.
Columbia University did not confirm whether law enforcement had presented a warrant before entering its property. A university spokesperson stated that officials must show a warrant before accessing campus premises but declined to comment further on Khalil’s detention.
On social media, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the administration was revoking visas and green cards of Hamas supporters to facilitate their deportation. Under U.S. law, green card holders can face deportation for various alleged offences, including support for a terrorist organisation. However, immigration experts described Khalil’s detention—despite no formal criminal charges—as an unusual and legally uncertain move.
“This appears to be retaliation against someone for expressing views that the Trump administration opposes,” said Camille Mackler, founder of the immigrant advocacy group Immigrant ARC.
Khalil, who completed his master's in international affairs at Columbia, played a key role as a student negotiator during discussions with university officials about dismantling a protest encampment last spring. His visibility in the movement led to increasing pressure from pro-Israel activists urging his deportation.
Additionally, Khalil was under investigation by a newly established Columbia University office that has brought disciplinary charges against several students over their pro-Palestinian activism. The Trump administration recently moved to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to Columbia, citing the university’s failure to curb alleged antisemitism on campus.
Khalil faced disciplinary actions for his involvement with the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group. The university’s allegations included his alleged participation in an unauthorised march that praised Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack and his role in spreading anti-Zionist social media content.
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“I have about 13 charges against me, mostly for social media posts I had nothing to do with,” Khalil told the AP last week. “They just want to appease Congress and right-wing politicians, regardless of how this affects students. It’s an attempt to suppress pro-Palestinian speech.”