Federal immigration agents arrested Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil on Saturday in a move seen as a major escalation of the Trump administration’s policy targeting student protesters.
Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, was detained at his university-owned apartment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
According to his attorney, Amy Greer, ICE agents cited State Department orders revoking Khalil’s student visa. When informed that he was a legal permanent resident with a green card, the agents responded that they were revoking that status instead.
A Crackdown on Student Protesters
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later confirmed Khalil’s arrest, linking it to President Trump’s executive orders addressing campus protests and allegations of antisemitism. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that the arrest was carried out in line with efforts to prevent individuals “aligned with Hamas” from remaining in the country.
Khalil’s arrest marks the first known deportation attempt related to last spring’s student-led demonstrations against the war in Gaza. The Trump administration has claimed that participation in such protests constitutes grounds for deportation, arguing that support for Hamas invalidates legal residency rights.
ICE agents reportedly also threatened to detain Khalil’s wife, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, further heightening concerns about the aggressive nature of the arrest. Khalil was initially believed to be held at an immigration detention facility in New Jersey, but his whereabouts remained unknown as of Sunday evening.
Legal and Political Controversy
Legal experts have questioned the basis for Khalil’s detention, noting that green card holders can only be deported under specific legal grounds, such as criminal activity or ties to designated terrorist organizations. Camille Mackler, founder of Immigrant ARC, called the move “a retaliatory action against someone who expressed an opinion the Trump administration didn’t like.”
Khalil, who received his master’s degree from Columbia’s School of International Affairs in December, played a key role in student negotiations with university officials regarding campus protests. His prominence in the movement has made him a target of pro-Israel groups, which recently urged the administration to pursue deportation proceedings against him.
University and Government Response
Columbia University has declined to comment on Khalil’s detention but confirmed that law enforcement must present a warrant before entering campus property. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the administration’s stance on social media, stating that visas and green cards for individuals supporting Hamas would be revoked.
Columbia has also launched internal investigations into student activism, resulting in disciplinary action against dozens of students, including Khalil. University allegations against him include organizing unauthorized demonstrations and sharing social media posts critical of Zionism. Khalil maintains that many of the accusations against him are baseless, telling the Associated Press last week, “They just want to show Congress and right-wing politicians that they’re doing something, regardless of the stakes for students.”
The Trump administration’s decision to cut federal funding to Columbia over its handling of campus protests has further intensified scrutiny of the university’s response to student activism. With Khalil’s arrest, the debate over free speech, political activism, and immigration enforcement has reached new heights, raising concerns about the legal implications of targeting protesters under the guise of national security.
Keep up with immigration updates with us on Que Onda Magazine.
