Mahmoud Khalil, a distinguished Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University’s 2024 student encampment protests, was arrested in New York Metropolis by federal immigration authorities who claimed they had been performing on a State Division order to revoke his inexperienced card, in accordance with his legal professional.
Khalil was at his university-owned condo blocks from Columbia’s Manhattan campus Saturday evening when a number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers entered the constructing and took him into custody, Amy Greer, his legal professional, advised The Related Press.
One of many ICE brokers advised Greer by telephone that they had been executing a State Division order to revoke Khalil’s pupil visa. Knowledgeable by the legal professional that Khalil, who graduated in December, was within the U.S. as a everlasting resident with a inexperienced card, the agent mentioned they had been revoking that too, in accordance with Greer.
In a press release to CBS Information, the Division of Homeland Safety mentioned Khalil’s arrest was “in help of President Trump’s govt orders prohibiting anti-Semitism,” alleging the previous pupil “led actions aligned to Hamas.” The division didn’t present particulars of any expenses or alleged crimes.
After the arrest of Khalil, Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media, “We might be revoking the visas and/or inexperienced playing cards of Hamas supporters in America to allow them to be deported.”
When ICE brokers arrived on the campus constructing Saturday, additionally they threatened to arrest Khalil’s spouse, an American citizen who’s eight months pregnant, Greer advised the AP. The authorities declined to say why Khalil was being arrested, in accordance with the legal professional.
They had been initially advised Khalil was transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. However when his spouse tried to go to Sunday, she realized he was not there — and will have been transferred as far-off as Louisiana, Greer mentioned.
Greer advised CBS Information New York in a press release, “We’ll vigorously be pursuing Mahmoud’s rights in court docket, and can proceed our efforts to proper this horrible and inexcusable — and calculated — improper dedicated towards him.”
President Trump targets faculties and “unlawful protests”
The arrest comes after President Trump vowed to deport foreign students and imprison “agitators” concerned in protests towards Israel’s conflict in Gaza. The administration has positioned explicit scrutiny on Columbia, asserting Friday that it might be cutting $400 million in grants and contracts due to what the federal government describes because the Ivy League faculty’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus.
Greer mentioned the authorities declined to inform Khalil’s spouse, who’s eight months pregnant, why he was being detained. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
“We have now not been in a position to get any extra particulars about why he’s being detained,” Greer advised The AP. “This can be a clear escalation. The administration is following by on its threats.”
“There have been studies of ICE round campus”
A spokesperson for Columbia mentioned regulation enforcement brokers should produce a warrant earlier than getting into college property. The spokesperson declined to say if the varsity had obtained a warrant for Khalil’s arrest. The spokesperson additionally declined to touch upon Khalil’s detention.
An announcement on Columbia’s website learn, “There have been studies of ICE round campus. Columbia has and can proceed to observe the regulation. Per our longstanding follow and the follow of cities and establishments all through the nation, regulation enforcement will need to have a judicial warrant to enter personal College areas, together with College buildings. Columbia is dedicated to complying with all authorized obligations and supporting our pupil physique and campus neighborhood.”
Khalil had change into probably the most seen faces of the pro-Palestinian motion at Columbia. As Columbia college students erected tents on campus final spring, Khalil was picked to function a negotiator on behalf of scholars and met regularly with college directors.
When lessons resumed in September, he advised The Related Press that the protests would proceed: “So long as Columbia continues to speculate and to profit from Israeli apartheid, the scholars will proceed to withstand.”
Information of his arrest rippled by the campus and is elevating issues amongst some college students.
“I used to be truly in school after I bought the information. I could not concentrate on something,” one pupil mentioned. “Freedom of speech is beneath assault it seems like in all places on this nation proper now, which is tragic. I do not assume you possibly can scare People into submission. I believe that most individuals will see this and arise with Mr. Khalil and see this as, hopefully, a chance to get up and understand the assaults on our democracy which can be taking place.”
Immigration legal professional Naresh M. Gehi advised CBS Information New York his evaluation of what occurred to Khalil is a violation of due course of.
“I have to say it did shock my conscience as a lawyer,” Gehi mentioned. “If he is a inexperienced card holder, slam dunk. There is not any strategy to arrest him. He had not been charged with against the law or if he is, you realize, if there’s one thing greater than that, actually, there isn’t any approach. Primary, since you’re coping with a authorized resident alien, which suggests you are coping with the inexperienced card holder who has numerous rights in our nation.”
