New York, NY – March 12, 2025 – The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student, has ignited a firestorm of protests and legal battles, marking a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism. As of today, a federal judge has temporarily halted efforts to deport Khalil, while hundreds of demonstrators continue to rally in New York City, decrying what they call an assault on free speech and immigrant rights.
Khalil, 30, a legal permanent resident with a green card, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Saturday, March 9, 2025, at his university-owned apartment near Columbia’s Manhattan campus. His attorney, Amy Greer, reported that ICE initially claimed they were acting on a State Department order to revoke his student visa, only to shift their justification to revoking his green card when informed of his permanent residency status (CNN, March 11, 2025). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the arrest, stating it was “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism,” alleging Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization” (CNN, March 10, 2025). No specific charges or evidence have been publicly disclosed.
On Monday, March 10, Judge Jesse M. Furman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an order blocking Khalil’s deportation “to preserve the court’s jurisdiction” pending a hearing scheduled for 11:30 a.m. today (NBC News, March 10, 2025). Khalil’s legal team, backed by groups like the Center for Constitutional Rights, has filed a habeas corpus challenge, arguing his detention is unlawful and a “blatant effort to target and chill [his] speech” (Forbes, March 11, 2025). A ruling is expected following today’s court proceedings.
Khalil, who graduated from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs in December 2024, emerged as a prominent figure in last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, serving as a lead negotiator for Columbia University Apartheid Divest. The coalition demanded the university divest from financial ties to Israel and call for a ceasefire in Gaza (AP News, March 11, 2025). While he disavowed antisemitism in an April 2024 CNN interview, stating, “There is, of course, no place for antisemitism,” his activism has drawn scrutiny from the Trump administration, which has vowed to deport “pro-terrorist” students (CNN, March 11, 2025).
Protests erupted across New York City following Khalil’s arrest. On Monday, hundreds gathered at Federal Plaza, organized by The People’s Forum, chanting “Release Mahmoud Khalil now!” and “ICE off our campuses!” (NBC News, March 10, 2025). By Tuesday, the demonstrations swelled to about 500, with clashes reported between protesters and the New York Police Department (NYPD). At least a dozen were arrested after blocking a downtown Manhattan street, with some taunting officers with chants like “Oink, oink, piggy, piggy” (New York Post, March 11, 2025). Symone, a protester, told the New York Post, “He was at home with his family when he was criminalized for expressing his freedom of speech.”
Khalil’s transfer to the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana—over 1,000 miles from New York—has fueled further outrage. Greer noted that his wife, a U.S. citizen eight months pregnant, was initially unable to locate him after he was moved from a facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey (The New York Times, March 11, 2025). Migrant rights groups allege the transfer was designed to hinder his access to legal resources (CNN, March 10, 2025).
The White House has defended the arrest, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announcing on Tuesday that DHS is pursuing additional arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters (NPR, March 11, 2025). President Trump, posting on Truth Social, called Khalil’s detention “the first arrest of many to come,” warning that “terrorist sympathizers” would be deported (The Guardian, March 10, 2025). Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this, stating on X that the administration would revoke visas and green cards of “Hamas supporters” (Forbes, March 11, 2025).
Civil liberties advocates have decried the move as unconstitutional. The ACLU’s Ben Wizner called it “unprecedented, illegal, and un-American,” while over 1.7 million have signed a petition for Khalil’s release (CNN, March 11, 2025). Columbia Professor Michael Thaddeus told NPR, “This violates the broader trust from foreign students who come to study here” (NPR, March 10, 2025). However, the Anti-Defamation League praised the administration’s “resolve to curb antisemitism” (CNN, March 11, 2025).
Columbia University, facing a $400 million cut in federal funds last week for allegedly failing to curb antisemitism, issued a statement affirming its commitment to students’ legal rights (NPR, March 11, 2025). Interim President Katrina Armstrong called it “a challenging moment for our community” (CBS New York, March 10, 2025).
As the courtroom showdown looms today, the controversy surrounding Khalil underscores a deepening divide over free speech, immigration, and U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine. Protesters vow to continue their fight, while the administration signals more actions ahead.
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