US immigration agents arrest Palestinian protester at Columbia University

A Palestinian graduate student and prominent voice in Columbia University’s pro-Palestine movement was arrested Saturday by US immigration agents, sparking outrage among students, civil rights groups, and supporters who called the move a dangerous escalation in the Trump administration’s crackdown on dissent.

Mahmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, was detained by Department of Homeland Security agents at his university housing. He is a US permanent resident with a green card and is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, according to the Student Workers of Columbia union.

Khalil’s arrest is widely seen as a political act, coming on the heels of President Donald Trump’s promise to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, which he has falsely labeled as “antisemitic.” Khalil has publicly countered that narrative, describing the campus movement as an anti-war coalition that includes Jewish students and groups united in demanding justice for Palestinians.

His supporters say Khalil was being targeted not for any legal wrongdoing, but for his role as a lead student negotiator and mediator between Columbia administrators and peaceful protesters — not as a participant in any building occupation or violent act. Just hours before his arrest, he told Reuters he feared being singled out by the government for speaking to the media.

“This is a blatant act of political retaliation,” said Maryam Alwan, a Palestinian American senior at Columbia and fellow organizer. “Mahmoud has done nothing but peacefully advocate for Palestinian rights, and now he’s being punished for it.”

Khalil grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and previously worked for the British embassy in Beirut. He is currently being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. His lawyer, Amy Greer, and his wife declined to comment.

Columbia University issued a vague statement claiming it is “committed to the legal rights of our students,” but declined to speak specifically on Khalil’s case. The university recently updated its policies to permit ICE agents to enter campus in “exigent circumstances” — a move many see as capitulating to government pressure.

“This is a frightening escalation of Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech,” said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “The use of immigration law to silence a legal resident advocating for human rights is an abuse of power.”

The arrest came just one day after the Trump administration announced the cancellation of $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia, citing vague accusations of “antisemitic harassment.” Critics say the funding cuts and Khalil’s detention are part of a broader political campaign to suppress Palestinian advocacy and intimidate student organizers.

“Columbia has already called in police, suspended students, and punished staff,” Khalil said in his final public comments. “They’ve silenced anyone supporting Palestine — and it still wasn’t enough for this administration.”

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. Rubio offered no clarification and did not respond to media inquiries.

Photo: A pro-Palestinian protester is detained by NYPD officers outside of Barnard College, New York City/Reuters

Khalil and fellow students have for years urged Columbia to divest its $14.8 billion endowment from weapons manufacturers and companies tied to Israel’s military operations. While Columbia has expressed vague willingness to consider the matter, it has so far resisted calls for meaningful action.

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, immigrant rights, 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. “We will not let Mahmoud be made an example. We stand with him and all students fighting for justice in Palestine.”