New York, NY – March 15, 2025 – Recent developments have brought renewed attention to Columbia University as the U.S. Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigate allegations that the prestigious Ivy League institution may be harboring undocumented immigrants on its campus. The claims, which have sparked significant controversy, come amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement and campus protest activities tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On March 14, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that federal agents had executed search warrants at two university residences the previous evening as part of an ongoing probe into whether Columbia has concealed "illegal aliens" on its grounds. While no arrests were made during the searches, the operation follows a series of high-profile immigration actions targeting individuals linked to the university’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year. Blanche stated, "That investigation is ongoing, and we are also looking at whether Columbia’s handling of earlier incidents violated civil rights laws and included terrorism crimes," signaling a broadening scope that has alarmed students and faculty alike.
The investigation coincides with the arrest of Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman from the West Bank, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from the Newark, New Jersey, field office. Kordia, apprehended on March 14 for allegedly overstaying a student visa that expired in January 2022, is currently detained in an immigration facility in Alvarado, Texas. Although Columbia University has stated it has no record of Kordia as a student or of her arrest occurring on campus, DHS officials allege she was involved in protests near the university in 2024. This follows the earlier detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student and legal permanent resident arrested on March 8 at his university-owned residence, and the self-deportation of Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student, earlier this week after her visa was revoked.
The Trump administration has framed these actions as part of a broader crackdown on foreign students and residents perceived to support "pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity," a stance tied to its pledge to deport individuals involved in last spring’s campus protests. President Donald Trump praised Khalil’s arrest as "the first of many to come," while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized, "It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked."
Columbia University has found itself under intense pressure from the federal government in recent weeks. On March 7, the administration canceled approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to the school, citing its failure to address antisemitic incidents linked to the protests. Interim President Katrina Armstrong responded to the latest searches in a statement on March 13, expressing heartbreak over the presence of federal agents on campus but reaffirming the university’s commitment to "upholding the law." She wrote, "Despite the unprecedented challenges, Columbia University will remain a place where the pursuit of knowledge is cherished and fiercely protected."
Student reactions have ranged from fear to outrage. Sebastian Javadpoor, a senior at Columbia, told ABC7 New York, "There is no due process, and I think that students here on this campus are incredibly afraid of if they’re going to be the next person sent away to a random detention center." Internal message boards and posts on X reflect a climate of anxiety among international students, with some expressing reluctance to leave their dormitories. The Student Workers of Columbia criticized the university’s updated ICE protocol, issued on March 6, which allows agents access to private property without a warrant in unspecified "exigent circumstances," accusing the administration of "sacrificing international students to protect its finances."
Legal experts and civil liberties advocates have raised concerns about the arrests, particularly Khalil’s detention as a green card holder without criminal charges. Camille Mackler of Immigrant ARC called it "a retaliatory action against someone who expressed an opinion the Trump administration didn’t like," while the New York Civil Liberties Union labeled it "a frightening escalation of Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine speech." Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned on X, "If the federal government can disappear a legal US permanent resident without reason or warrant, then they can disappear US citizens too."
As of today, March 15, 2025, no definitive evidence has been publicly presented to confirm that undocumented immigrants are currently living on Columbia’s campus. The Justice Department’s investigation remains active, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating that additional visa revocations are expected in the coming days. Columbia has reiterated its protocol requiring judicial warrants for law enforcement to enter non-public areas, a policy consistent with its longstanding practice, but the unfolding situation continues to test the balance between campus autonomy and federal authority.
This story is developing, with further updates anticipated as the investigation progresses and the university community grapples with its implications. 17GEN4.com
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