New York – A Columbia University graduate student, Mahmoud Khalil, was taken into federal custody over the weekend by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at his university-affiliated residence near the Manhattan campus. Amy Greer, Khalil’s attorney, reported the incident, noting that it aligns with recent federal moves to deport foreign nationals involved in university protests against the war in Gaza.
According to Greer, the arrest took place on a Saturday night when ICE agents, acting on purported State Department directives, arrived unannounced. They allegedly planned to revoke Khalil’s student visa and green card, despite him being a permanent U.S. resident.
The action seems to be an enforcement of President Donald Trump’s stated policy to expel international students who participated in the Gaza war protests. The administration regards support for Hamas, labeled a terror organization, as grounds for forfeiture of U.S. residence rights. This policy has sparked significant criticism, with claims of targeting individuals for their political views.
During the arrest, agents also allegedly threatened detention against Khalil’s wife, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant. Despite demands, agents did not disclose the reasons for Khalil’s detention at the time. Attempts by Khalil’s wife to locate him the following day were futile as he was reportedly transferred from a New Jersey detention facility to an undisclosed location, possibly as distant as Louisiana.
The Columbia University spokesperson mentioned that law enforcement is required to present a warrant to enter university properties, but did not confirm whether one was produced prior to Khalil’s detention. The university has chosen not to comment further on the matter.
Subsequent inquiries made to the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE regarding the arrest remained unanswered as of Sunday. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly advocated on social media for the revocation of visas and green cards for Hamas supporters residing in the U.S.
The implications for green card holders supporting identified terror groups are severe, with possible deportation proceedings that would require adjudication by an immigration judge, as explained by Camille Mackler, founder of Immigrant ARC. Mackler expressed concerns about potential retaliatory measures by the administration against individuals expressing unpopular political perspectives.
Khalil had a high-profile role at Columbia, notably during negotiations with university officials regarding a tent encampment protest last spring. His visibility made him a key figure in pro-Palestinian student activities, which led to university investigations and alleged disciplinary charges against him and several others. The charges reportedly related to unauthorized demonstrations and controversial social media activities.
These university probes are happening concurrently with federal threats to cut funding to Columbia, citing insufficient action to curb anti-Semitism on campus. Khalil’s situation points to broader issues of campus speech and political reprisals under the guise of policy enforcement.
Khalil himself has refuted many allegations, attributing them to broader political maneuvers rather than actual wrongdoing.
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