In a move that has sent shockwaves through civil rights communities, U.S. immigration authorities have arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, as part of former President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism.
Khalil, a student at the School of International and Public Affairs, was apprehended at his university residence on Saturday evening by agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to the Student Workers of Columbia labour union. His detention has sparked outrage among advocacy groups, who view it as a dangerous escalation against protected political speech.
Khalil, a U.S. green card holder married to an American citizen—who is eight months pregnant—had voiced concerns about government surveillance just hours before his arrest. Speaking to Reuters, he expressed fear that he was being singled out for his vocal opposition to Trump’s stance on student-led protests.
His fears were seemingly confirmed when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to social media on Sunday, stating, “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.” However, Rubio provided no evidence linking Khalil to Hamas, and DHS did not furnish any details to support their claim that Khalil was involved in “activities aligned to Hamas.”
Crucially, Khalil has not been accused of providing material support to Hamas, nor has he been charged with any crime. Instead, his arrest appears to be part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to clamp down on pro-Palestinian activism, which it has repeatedly framed as antisemitic and dangerous.
Columbia University has become a flashpoint for the ongoing national debate over free speech, student activism, and the U.S. government’s response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent U.S.-backed Israeli assault on Gaza, protests have erupted across American campuses. Columbia students have been at the forefront of these demonstrations, setting up encampments and briefly occupying an academic building before police intervened.
Despite not participating in the occupation, Khalil played a crucial role as a mediator between the protesters and university administrators. He has strongly denied allegations of antisemitism, emphasizing that the movement is anti-war and includes Jewish students who oppose Israeli military actions.
However, some Israeli and Jewish students have described the demonstrations as intimidating, leading to counter-protests in support of Israel.
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has condemned Khalil’s arrest as an attack on free speech and due process. NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman described the move as “a frightening escalation of Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine speech, and an aggressive abuse of immigration law.”
Khalil, who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and previously worked for the British embassy in Beirut, is currently being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Columbia University has declined to comment directly on Khalil’s case, citing legal restrictions, but affirmed its commitment to protecting students’ legal rights. However, the university is under intense federal pressure, with the Trump administration recently announcing the cancellation of $400 million in government contracts and grants, citing concerns over alleged antisemitic harassment on campus.
Before his arrest, Khalil accused both Columbia University and the Trump administration of suppressing pro-Palestinian voices. “They basically silenced anyone supporting Palestine on campus, and that was not enough. Clearly, Trump is using the protesters as a scapegoat for his wider agenda—attacking higher education and the Ivy League system,” he told Reuters.
Student protesters have long demanded that Columbia divest its $14.8 billion endowment from companies linked to Israel’s military. The university has agreed to expedite discussions on this demand through its advisory committee on socially responsible investing.
Meanwhile, Columbia has introduced new protocols regarding federal immigration agents on campus, stating that they may enter without a judicial warrant in “exigent circumstances,” though it has not clarified what those circumstances entail.
Khalil’s arrest is widely seen as part of Trump’s broader strategy to quash dissent on college campuses, particularly targeting those advocating for Palestinian rights. With the 2024 election cycle intensifying, his administration has doubled down on its anti-protest rhetoric, painting pro-Palestinian demonstrators as extremists.
As legal battles loom and student activism shows no signs of waning, Khalil’s case may become a defining moment in the fight for free speech and immigrant rights in America.
For now, his fate remains uncertain—but the political firestorm ignited by his arrest is far from over.
PIONEER NEWS 