Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, who was a lead negotiator for the protesters during last spring’s Gaza solidarity encampment on campus, was detained on university property. The arrest follows Trump’s executive order on antisemitism from last month
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a prominent pro-Palestinian activist and recent Columbia University graduate, Mahmoud Khalil, at his university-owned apartment on Saturday night. This is the first such incident following the Trump administration’s promise to deport pro-Palestinian protesters in America on student visas.
Khalil’s attorney, Amy Greer, said in a statement that her client was “wrongfully arrested” by ICE agents, who claimed “his student visa was revoked – even though Mahmoud is [a] legal permanent resident (green card) and not in the U.S. on a student visa.”
“Overnight, we filed a habeas corpus petition on Mahmoud’s behalf challenging the validity of his arrest and detention. Currently, we do not know Mahmoud’s precise whereabouts. Initially, we were informed this morning that he had been transferred to an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. However, when his wife – a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant and was threatened with arrest as well by the ICE agents [on Saturday night] – tried to visit him there [on Sunday], she was told he is not detained there. We have subsequently received reports that Mahmoud may be transferred as far away as Louisiana,” the statement read.
“We will vigorously be pursuing Mahmoud’s rights in court, and will continue our efforts to right this terrible and inexcusable – and calculated – wrong committed against him. ICE’s arrest and detention of Mahmoud follows the U.S. government’s open repression of student activism and political speech, specifically targeting students at Columbia University for criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza. The U.S. government has made clear that they will use immigration enforcement as a tool to suppress that speech. Many individuals and organizations have expressed support for Mahmoud and outrage at the government’s conduct, and have offered their assistance in the legal proceedings. Mahmoud greatly appreciates all of that support, as do we,” Greer said in the statement.
Khalil was a visible figure and a lead negotiator for protesters during last spring’s Gaza solidarity encampment on the Columbia campus.
In recent interviews with the U.S. press, Khalil said he was accused of misconduct just weeks before his graduation last December. He said the allegations, mostly tied to social media posts, led the university to place a hold on his transcript and threaten to block his graduation. He said that after refusing to sign a nondisclosure agreement, he appealed the decision through a lawyer, and the university ultimately reversed course.
When asked by Haaretz on Saturday whether ICE had entered university-owned property, Columbia did not confirm or deny. A university spokesperson, however, reiterated that “Columbia has and will continue to follow the law.”
“Law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas, including University buildings. Columbia is committed to complying with all legal obligations and supporting our student body and campus community,” the university said in a statement.
However, around the same time Khalil was taken into custody, Columbia University emailed its students general guidelines on ICE visits to campus, advising faculty and staff to “not interfere” and to “contact Public Safety,” but gave no news about the arrest itself.
This arrest is in line with Trump’s executive order on antisemitism from January, which aims to take “unprecedented steps to combat the explosion of antisemitism,” including revoking student visas for “Hamas sympathizers on college campuses.”
This move by the new administration has alarmed both free speech advocates and Jewish groups, who warn of the weaponization of antisemitism and the targeting of pro-Palestinian activists. Critics argue it represents an effort to suppress dissent on campus.
Columbia University became a focal point for pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the war in Gaza. The university has since faced increasing scrutiny and backlash under the new Trump administration.
Over the weekend, the Trump administration announced the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, citing the institution’s alleged failure to address persistent antisemitic harassment on campus.
The Associated Press contributed to this report