Trump Administration Cracks Down on Campus Protests, Palestinian Student Arrested at Columbia
In what appears to be the first in a series of actions promised by President Donald Trump, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student and a key figure in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, was arrested on Saturday by U.S. immigration agents.
The arrest at his university residence has sparked outrage among students and civil rights groups, who see it as a dangerous escalation in the administration’s crackdown on dissent.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents took Khalil into custody, stating they were acting under a State Department directive to annul his green card. Trump later affirmed his administration’s stance, declaring the arrest "the first of many to come" and vowing to deport another student as "terrorist sympathizers."
Details and Reactions
Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, has played a prominent role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Last year, he established a tent encampment on campus and negotiated between student demonstrators and university administrators.
According to the Student Workers of Columbia Union, Khalil is a U.S. permanent resident with a green card and is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant. His attorney, Amy Greer, told the Associated Press that an ICE agent said they were following directives from the State Department to revoke Khalil's student visa. When she clarified that he was a green card holder, the agent stated they would also annul that status.
"This represents a notable escalation. The administration is executing its threats," Greer told the AP.
Columbia University acknowledged awareness of ICE activity on campus but stated it adheres to legal protocols, requiring law enforcement to possess a judicial warrant to access non-public areas. The institution did not confirm whether a warrant had been issued concerning Khalil's arrest.
Alwan, a Columbia senior who has joined Khalil in protests, conveyed her distress over the situation, stating, "I am horrified for my dear friend, who is a legal resident, and I am horrified that this is only the beginning"
Trump's Response and Policy Shift
President Trump took to Truth Social to comment on Khalilcalling him a "Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student" and suggesting it was the first of many arrests yet to come.
"We will locate, detain, and deport these sympathizers of terrorism from our nation—never to return," he stated.
Trump's administration has increasingly targeted pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, vowing to deport foreign students involved and accusing them of antisemitism and supporting terrorism. This stance follows an executive order aimed at combating antisemitism on college campuses.
Critics argue that these actions infringe on First Amendment rights and represent a crackdown on dissent. Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio applauded Khalil’s arrest on social media, saying green cards and visas of "Hamas supporters" would be revoked despite no evidence tying Khalil to any group.
Columbia University and Pro-Palestinian Protests
Khalil's arrest occurs amid heightened tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and other campuses across the U.S. Students have been demanding that universities divest from companies connected to Israel and call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Columbia University has faced scrutiny over its handling of these protests, with the Trump administration announcing plans to withdraw $400 million in grants and contracts, citing the university's alleged failure to curb antisemitism on campus.
Hours before his arrest, Khalil told Reuters he feared being singled out by the government for speaking to the media. "They have effectively silenced any support for Palestine on campus, and this was still insufficient. Trump is utilizing the protesters as scapegoats for his broader agenda against higher education and the Ivy League system," Khalil remarked before his arrest.
Legal Challenges and Community Response
Khalil's attorney is contesting the arrest, and a habeas corpus petition has been filed on his behalf. As of Sunday, he was being held in an immigration detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Students and rights groups are calling for Khalil’s immediate release and for Columbia to take a firm stance against what they see as an authoritarian attack on academic freedom and peaceful political protest.
"By letting ICE walk onto our campus, Columbia is letting the Trump administration turn higher education into a battlefield," said the Student Workers of Columbia union.
Future Implications
Khalil's arrest signals a significant escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to suppress pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. It raises concerns about targeting international students and the potential chilling effect on free speech and academic freedom.
"Everyone is frightened, and everyone is angry," Khan remarked. "If this can happen to one of the most respected members of our group, it could happen to anyone."
As the administration moves forward with its policies, additional legal challenges and protests are anticipated, laying the groundwork for ongoing conflict among the government, universities, and student activists. The DHS stated that Khalil "led activities aligned with Hamas," and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated this view, stressing that individuals supporting Hamas could face visa or green card revocation to enable their deportation. This position signals a firm commitment from the administration to actively counter what it deems as support for terrorism within the U.S., raising concerns about the balance between national security and civil liberties.