Columbia University Student Arrested Amid Trump’s Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Activists

U.S. immigration agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on certain anti-Israel activists. Khalil, a U.S. green card holder, was taken into custody at his university residence by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which accused him of leading “activities aligned to Hamas” without providing specific details. Civil rights groups condemned the arrest as a violation of free speech, with the New York Civil Liberties Union calling it an “aggressive abuse of immigration law.”

The arrest came just a day after the Trump administration revoked $400 million in government contracts and grants to Columbia University, citing concerns over antisemitic harassment on campus. Khalil was a lead negotiator in Columbia’s pro-Palestinian protests but was not involved in the occupation of university buildings. His supporters argue that his detention is part of a broader effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices, while some pro-Israel students claim the protests have been disruptive.

Khalil, who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and later worked for the British embassy in Beirut, is currently being held at an ICE detention center in New Jersey. His wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, has not publicly commented on his arrest. Columbia University reaffirmed its commitment to students’ legal rights but has faced criticism for allowing federal agents on campus. The case is expected to intensify debates over free speech and the Trump administration’s policies on student protests.

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