Columbia student's arrest by Trump signals new phase in immigration policy debate
Columbia's decision to remove the anti-Israel negotiator aligns with its commitment to enforce a crackdown.
TroibNews 
The arrest of a Palestinian graduate student who was prominent in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University represents a notable change in U.S. government policy under an administration that has already focused on stringent immigration controls and campus anti-war protests.
Mahmoud Khalil, who drew the ire of conservatives for his involvement in campus demonstrations regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, had originally entered the U.S. on a legal student visa and held legal permanent resident status as a green card holder. His arrest by immigration agents over the weekend marks a significant shift in enforcement priorities, leading to legal challenges and widespread public outrage.
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump stated a desire to deport foreign students engaging in such protests. However, his administration’s rhetoric in the past year has concentrated more on removing undocumented immigrants, particularly those convicted of crimes, rather than targeting those with legal status. The recent announcement regarding the revocation of protesters' visas and green cards signals a rhetorical shift and escalates the situation considerably.
Some Democrats, who have been cautious about immigration enforcement since the election, view Khalil's case as an opportunity to critique the administration. Khalil's marriage to a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant could garner additional sympathy.
Senator Dick Durbin, the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, described Khalil’s detention as “Straight up authoritarianism.” New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed her “extreme concern” regarding the arrest, noting that her office is closely monitoring the situation. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American congresswoman, stated, “This is straight out of the fascist playbook.” Additionally, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, currently running for mayor, labeled the arrest an “unconstitutional and egregious violation of the First Amendment” and a “frightening weaponization of immigration law.”
Khalil’s attorney informed The Associated Press that she was unsure of his whereabouts on Sunday night. An online locator from Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicated that Khalil was being held at an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, before being transferred to another detention center in Jena, Louisiana, by Monday.
Even some Republicans, who have criticized campus protests, have found Khalil's arrest troubling. Ann Coulter, a conservative commentator, remarked on X that while she supports deporting many foreigners, “unless they’ve committed a crime, isn’t this a violation of the first amendment?” GOP strategist Matthew Bartlett, referencing Secretary Marco Rubio's assertion about revoking the visas of “Hamas supporters,” stated, “These are very, very dangerous waters for Secretary [Marco Rubio] to assert himself in.”
The Trump administration has frequently championed free speech, with Vice President JD Vance criticizing restrictions imposed by European laws and social media platforms on right-leaning perspectives. “I believe deeply that there is no security if you are afraid of the voices, the opinions and the conscience that guide your very own people,” Vance commented last month in Munich.
The administration's actions also tread into legally ambiguous territory. The Department of Homeland Security can initiate deportation proceedings against green card holders, including those with certain criminal convictions. However, only a judge has the authority to revoke someone's permanent residency status.
On Monday, a federal judge in New York, addressing a habeas corpus petition filed on Khalil’s behalf, ordered that he not be removed from the U.S. pending further orders from the court. Khalil's legal team is asking for his return to New York.
Ramya Krishnan, a senior staff attorney at Columbia’s Knight First Amendment Institute, expressed concern about the lack of transparency regarding the grounds for revoking Khalil’s green card. “They haven’t pointed to any crimes that he was convicted of. They haven’t articulated the specific statutory authority they’re relying on here,” she stated. She warned that such extraordinary measures “will have the effect of chilling the kinds of student protests that this administration has threatened to retaliate against since the very beginning,” comparing the situation to “repressive moments in America’s history,” like the McCarthy era.
Trump officials, including border czar Tom Homan, have claimed that Khalil violated his visa terms by supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Nevertheless, Khalil has not faced any criminal charges.
“Did he violate the terms of his visa? Did he violate the terms of his residency? Committing crimes, attacking Israeli students, locking down buildings, destroying property, absolutely any resident alien that commits a crime is eligible for deportation,” Homan said during a Fox News appearance. “And that’s just one of many.”
Khalil shared with Al Jazeera that he was worried that joining student protests could jeopardize his immigration status, thus opting instead to function as the lead negotiator between Columbia University Apartheid Divest and the university administration. “Since the beginning, I decided to stay out of the public eye and away from media attention or high-risk activities,” he revealed. “I considered the encampment to be ‘high risk.’”
Although Columbia briefly suspended Khalil, that suspension was later revoked. Khalil stated that the university president’s office even reached out to him to apologize.
Trump referred to Khalil as a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student” on Monday, suggesting that his arrest is indicative of “the first arrest of many to come” and vowing to “find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.” He further asserted, without evidence, that “Many are not students, they are paid agitators”—a recurring but misleading claim among critics.
CUAD, a coalition comprising numerous student groups at Columbia, insists it is anti-Zionist but not antisemitic, with some leaders identifying as anti-Zionist Jews. While the group has not openly endorsed Hamas, a PMG analysis revealed that some members engaged with pro-Hamas content through encrypted channels.
In shaping the GOP’s 2024 platform, Trump and his team have emphasized “revoking Visas of Foreign Nationals who support terrorism and jihadism” and called for the “DEPORTATION OF PRO-HAMAS RADICALS.” This approach aligns with "Project Esther," a Heritage Foundation initiative aimed at combating antisemitism, which likens the "pro-Palestinian movement" to a "Hamas Support Network" and encourages firing “pro-Palestinian” university faculty and staff, as well as deporting students.
In a statement on X, the White House commented, “SHALOM, MAHMOUD,” a Hebrew word conveying greetings and peace. A White House spokesperson did not provide a response to requests for further comment.
Following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, Trump has consistently criticized anti-war protests at universities nationwide. He recently announced a federal task force on antisemitism, which is scheduled to assess ten college campuses that had experienced antisemitic incidents in the wake of the attacks, and he withdrew $400 million in funding from Columbia last week.
Leo Terrell, leading the administration's antisemitism task force, articulated that “A student visa is a privilege,” asserting that individuals engaged in antisemitic actions could face deportation or revocation of their educational rights.
The crisis intensified when students at Columbia established the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on campus last April, igniting a political controversy. Progressive members of Congress joined the protests, while others criticized what they interpreted as antisemitism. Speaker Mike Johnson even called for the National Guard to dismantle the encampment, which led to conflict as students shouted, “Mike, you suck.”
Tensions peaked when demonstrators occupied Hamilton Hall, a building historically significant for anti-war activism. In response, Columbia's then-president authorized hundreds of NYPD officers to clear the campus, resulting in over 100 arrests, mostly of students.
While the group's demands went unmet, the university remains a center of anti-war protest, as evidenced by the recent arrest of nine students at Barnard College during a sit-in. On Monday, several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near ICE's office in Lower Manhattan, advocating for Khalil’s release with signs stating, “Release Mahmoud Khalil” and “Hands off our Students.”
Columbia University acknowledged awareness of the reports regarding ICE agents on campus and reiterated its commitment to comply with legal requirements while supporting its student community. The university emphasized that law enforcement must possess a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas.
A spokesperson for Columbia did not specifically comment on Khalil’s detention.
Bianca Quilantan, Josh Gerstein, and Jeff Coltin contributed to this report.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
Mahmoud Khalil, who drew the ire of conservatives for his involvement in campus demonstrations regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, had originally entered the U.S. on a legal student visa and held legal permanent resident status as a green card holder. His arrest by immigration agents over the weekend marks a significant shift in enforcement priorities, leading to legal challenges and widespread public outrage.
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump stated a desire to deport foreign students engaging in such protests. However, his administration’s rhetoric in the past year has concentrated more on removing undocumented immigrants, particularly those convicted of crimes, rather than targeting those with legal status. The recent announcement regarding the revocation of protesters' visas and green cards signals a rhetorical shift and escalates the situation considerably.
Some Democrats, who have been cautious about immigration enforcement since the election, view Khalil's case as an opportunity to critique the administration. Khalil's marriage to a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant could garner additional sympathy.
Senator Dick Durbin, the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, described Khalil’s detention as “Straight up authoritarianism.” New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed her “extreme concern” regarding the arrest, noting that her office is closely monitoring the situation. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American congresswoman, stated, “This is straight out of the fascist playbook.” Additionally, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, currently running for mayor, labeled the arrest an “unconstitutional and egregious violation of the First Amendment” and a “frightening weaponization of immigration law.”
Khalil’s attorney informed The Associated Press that she was unsure of his whereabouts on Sunday night. An online locator from Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicated that Khalil was being held at an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, before being transferred to another detention center in Jena, Louisiana, by Monday.
Even some Republicans, who have criticized campus protests, have found Khalil's arrest troubling. Ann Coulter, a conservative commentator, remarked on X that while she supports deporting many foreigners, “unless they’ve committed a crime, isn’t this a violation of the first amendment?” GOP strategist Matthew Bartlett, referencing Secretary Marco Rubio's assertion about revoking the visas of “Hamas supporters,” stated, “These are very, very dangerous waters for Secretary [Marco Rubio] to assert himself in.”
The Trump administration has frequently championed free speech, with Vice President JD Vance criticizing restrictions imposed by European laws and social media platforms on right-leaning perspectives. “I believe deeply that there is no security if you are afraid of the voices, the opinions and the conscience that guide your very own people,” Vance commented last month in Munich.
The administration's actions also tread into legally ambiguous territory. The Department of Homeland Security can initiate deportation proceedings against green card holders, including those with certain criminal convictions. However, only a judge has the authority to revoke someone's permanent residency status.
On Monday, a federal judge in New York, addressing a habeas corpus petition filed on Khalil’s behalf, ordered that he not be removed from the U.S. pending further orders from the court. Khalil's legal team is asking for his return to New York.
Ramya Krishnan, a senior staff attorney at Columbia’s Knight First Amendment Institute, expressed concern about the lack of transparency regarding the grounds for revoking Khalil’s green card. “They haven’t pointed to any crimes that he was convicted of. They haven’t articulated the specific statutory authority they’re relying on here,” she stated. She warned that such extraordinary measures “will have the effect of chilling the kinds of student protests that this administration has threatened to retaliate against since the very beginning,” comparing the situation to “repressive moments in America’s history,” like the McCarthy era.
Trump officials, including border czar Tom Homan, have claimed that Khalil violated his visa terms by supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Nevertheless, Khalil has not faced any criminal charges.
“Did he violate the terms of his visa? Did he violate the terms of his residency? Committing crimes, attacking Israeli students, locking down buildings, destroying property, absolutely any resident alien that commits a crime is eligible for deportation,” Homan said during a Fox News appearance. “And that’s just one of many.”
Khalil shared with Al Jazeera that he was worried that joining student protests could jeopardize his immigration status, thus opting instead to function as the lead negotiator between Columbia University Apartheid Divest and the university administration. “Since the beginning, I decided to stay out of the public eye and away from media attention or high-risk activities,” he revealed. “I considered the encampment to be ‘high risk.’”
Although Columbia briefly suspended Khalil, that suspension was later revoked. Khalil stated that the university president’s office even reached out to him to apologize.
Trump referred to Khalil as a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student” on Monday, suggesting that his arrest is indicative of “the first arrest of many to come” and vowing to “find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.” He further asserted, without evidence, that “Many are not students, they are paid agitators”—a recurring but misleading claim among critics.
CUAD, a coalition comprising numerous student groups at Columbia, insists it is anti-Zionist but not antisemitic, with some leaders identifying as anti-Zionist Jews. While the group has not openly endorsed Hamas, a PMG analysis revealed that some members engaged with pro-Hamas content through encrypted channels.
In shaping the GOP’s 2024 platform, Trump and his team have emphasized “revoking Visas of Foreign Nationals who support terrorism and jihadism” and called for the “DEPORTATION OF PRO-HAMAS RADICALS.” This approach aligns with "Project Esther," a Heritage Foundation initiative aimed at combating antisemitism, which likens the "pro-Palestinian movement" to a "Hamas Support Network" and encourages firing “pro-Palestinian” university faculty and staff, as well as deporting students.
In a statement on X, the White House commented, “SHALOM, MAHMOUD,” a Hebrew word conveying greetings and peace. A White House spokesperson did not provide a response to requests for further comment.
Following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, Trump has consistently criticized anti-war protests at universities nationwide. He recently announced a federal task force on antisemitism, which is scheduled to assess ten college campuses that had experienced antisemitic incidents in the wake of the attacks, and he withdrew $400 million in funding from Columbia last week.
Leo Terrell, leading the administration's antisemitism task force, articulated that “A student visa is a privilege,” asserting that individuals engaged in antisemitic actions could face deportation or revocation of their educational rights.
The crisis intensified when students at Columbia established the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on campus last April, igniting a political controversy. Progressive members of Congress joined the protests, while others criticized what they interpreted as antisemitism. Speaker Mike Johnson even called for the National Guard to dismantle the encampment, which led to conflict as students shouted, “Mike, you suck.”
Tensions peaked when demonstrators occupied Hamilton Hall, a building historically significant for anti-war activism. In response, Columbia's then-president authorized hundreds of NYPD officers to clear the campus, resulting in over 100 arrests, mostly of students.
While the group's demands went unmet, the university remains a center of anti-war protest, as evidenced by the recent arrest of nine students at Barnard College during a sit-in. On Monday, several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near ICE's office in Lower Manhattan, advocating for Khalil’s release with signs stating, “Release Mahmoud Khalil” and “Hands off our Students.”
Columbia University acknowledged awareness of the reports regarding ICE agents on campus and reiterated its commitment to comply with legal requirements while supporting its student community. The university emphasized that law enforcement must possess a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas.
A spokesperson for Columbia did not specifically comment on Khalil’s detention.
Bianca Quilantan, Josh Gerstein, and Jeff Coltin contributed to this report.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
