Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning on Monday, March 10, about new measures against pro-Palestinian protesters in American universities. He stated that the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a key organizer of demonstrations at Columbia University, marked the beginning of this effort.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “We know that many students at Columbia and other universities across the country are involved in terrorism-supporting, anti-Semitic, and anti-American activities, and a Trump administration will not tolerate it.”
Mahmoud Khalil was arrested earlier this week by U.S. immigration authorities. He was a prominent organizer of protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, held at Columbia University and other campuses last year. Hamas, which led the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
The protests have since ended, and no major demonstrations resumed at the start of the new academic year.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that Khalil was detained “under President Trump’s executive orders to combat anti-Semitism” and in coordination with the State Department.
A U.S. federal judge, Jesse Furman, ruled on Monday to temporarily halt Khalil’s deportation, stating that his case would be reviewed on Wednesday.
According to police records, Khalil is a Syrian national who earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International Affairs last year. Columbia’s student union reported that he held a U.S. permanent resident card (Green Card) and was married to an American woman who is eight months pregnant at the time of his arrest.
Trump also wrote on social media, “If you support terrorism and the killing of innocent people, women, and children, your presence here is against our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome. We expect every university in America to take this seriously.”
Last year’s pro-Palestinian protests disrupted academic activities on several U.S. campuses following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, which, according to Israeli officials, killed around 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of 250 others, many of whom remain in captivity in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and ground operations, with most of the victims being women and children. The Israeli military claims that 17,000 of the dead were Hamas militants.
During last year’s campus demonstrations, protesters staged sit-ins, disrupted classes, and, in some cases, clashed with pro-Israel students, leading to accusations of anti-Semitism.
Khalil’s attorney stated that he was arrested on Saturday near his home in New York, and authorities told him that his Green Card was being revoked. Khalil is currently being held at an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
His lawyers have also requested that Judge Furman order his return to New York.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based civil rights organization, called for Khalil’s immediate release on Monday and pledged legal support.
In a statement, CAIR said, “Khalil is a legal permanent resident of the U.S., has not been charged or convicted of any crime… The Department of Homeland Security’s unlawful decision to detain him solely for peacefully protesting against genocide is a blatant attack on the First Amendment, immigration law, and Palestinian human rights.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday via X (formerly Twitter) that the State Department would “revoke visas and Green Cards of Hamas supporters in the U.S. to facilitate their removal.”
Since Trump’s return to office in January, Khalil’s arrest marks the first known effort to deport an activist over pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
During last year’s protests, Khalil and other students at Columbia denied allegations of anti-Semitism, stating they were part of a broad anti-war movement that included Jewish students and other groups.
However, some of these student groups have openly expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah, another organization designated as terrorist by the U.S.
It remains unclear when Khalil will appear before an immigration court, the first step in a potential deportation process.
Pro-Israel activists have recently urged the Trump administration to begin his removal proceedings.
The university’s new administration has launched an investigation into Khalil and dozens of other pro-Palestinian students over disciplinary violations.
Last week, the Trump administration froze $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University, accusing the institution of failing to prevent anti-Semitic activities on its campus.