US authorities have arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian student leader, as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on individuals involved in campus protests against Israel. Officials are now seeking to revoke his residency status and deport him, reports EuroNews.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Khalil at his university-owned flat in New York on Saturday evening. According to his lawyer, Amy Greer, authorities initially attempted to cancel his student visa, but after learning he holds a Green Card, they sought to revoke his permanent residency instead.
During the arrest, ICE agents allegedly threatened to detain Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, Greer claimed. She criticised the detention as a politically motivated escalation.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Khalil’s arrest, citing President Donald Trump’s executive orders on combating antisemitism.
Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed Khalil had „led activities aligned to Hamas”, a US-designated terrorist organisation, but did not provide evidence to support this allegation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action, stating:
„We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent, served as a student negotiator during discussions with Columbia University administrators over protests calling for the university to divest from companies linked to Israel. His prominent role led pro-Israel activists to demand that the Trump administration take action against him.
In line with its stance against anti-Israel protests, the US government announced on Friday that it would cut $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University.
Civil rights advocates condemned the arrest as retaliatory. Camille Mackler, founder of Immigrant ARC, argued:
„This has the appearance of a retaliatory action against someone who expressed an opinion the Trump administration didn’t like.”
Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to take more decisive action against pro-Palestinian demonstrations. In a recent Truth Social post, he warned:
„Agitators will be imprisoned and/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came.”
The case has ignited fresh debate over immigration policies, protests, and free speech, as Khalil’s fate remains uncertain amid growing tensions over campus activism in the US.
Photo credit: AP Photo
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