On the evening of March 8, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former graduate student at Columbia University, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents inside his university-owned apartment in Manhattan.
The dramatic scene unfolded as several officers entered the residence, apprehending Khalil, who was a prominent figure in last year’s pro-Palestinian encampment protests at Columbia, under orders reportedly from the state department.
His lawyer, Amy Greer, said she spoke to an ICE agent during the arrest, who initially claimed Khalil’s student visa had been revoked. When Greer clarified that Khalil held a green card as a permanent resident, the agent shifted tack, stating that his residency status was now being cancelled instead.
The arrest marks the first known instance of the Trump administration delivering on its pledge to deport foreign students involved in the wave of protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that swept American campuses in the spring 2024.
Khalil, who completed his master’s degree at Columbia’s School of International Affairs in December 2024, had been a key negotiator for student protesters, engaging with university officials to dismantle the tent encampment that galvanised a nationwide movement. His visibility made him a target, with pro-Israel groups and the Trump administration singling him out as an alleged supporter of Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation in the US.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Khalil’s detention, with spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin framing it as a direct response to President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at curbing anti-Semitism.
McLaughlin alleged that Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas,” tying his arrest to his role in Columbia’s protests. In a pointed message on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this stance, declaring that the administration would revoke visas and green cards of “Hamas supporters in America” for deportation.
Revoking a green card is an extraordinary measure, typically reserved for individuals convicted of serious crimes. Khalil, however, has not been charged with any offence, raising questions about the legal grounding of his detention.
Immigration experts describe this as an unprecedented escalation, potentially weaponising immigration law to silence dissent. Adding to the tension, Greer reported that ICE agents threatened to arrest Khalil’s wife—an American citizen, eight months pregnant—during the raid, though no such action was taken.
Khalil’s whereabouts remain unclear. Initially, he was said to be held at an immigration facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, but when his wife attempted to visit him, she was told he was not there.
The Trump administration has made Columbia a focal point in its broader campaign against universities it accuses of failing to protect Jewish students during the protests. On March 7, it axed $400 million in grants and contracts to the Ivy League institution.
Trump himself foreshadowed this crackdown in a social media post last week, vowing to halt federal funding to any school tolerating “illegal protests” and to imprison or deport “agitators.” Columbia’s response has been muted; a statement on March 9 affirmed its commitment to legal compliance and student rights but avoided addressing Khalil’s arrest directly.
Khalil’s activism traces back to Columbia’s encampment movement, which he helped lead as a negotiator. The university later investigated him through its newly formed Office of Institutional Equity, which has targeted dozens of students for pro-Palestinian activities—ranging from unauthorised marches to social media posts critical of Zionism.
Though briefly suspended last spring, Khalil’s penalty was overturned, allowing him to complete his degree. His diplomatic experience, including a stint at the British embassy in Beirut, lent him credibility as a spokesperson for the cause.
Critics, including the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Donna Lieberman, have condemned the arrest as a “frightening escalation” reminiscent of McCarthyism. Meanwhile, the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association hailed it, branding Khalil a “ringleader” of anti-Semitic protests.
Public reaction has been swift—a petition for his release amassed nearly 8,00,000 signatures by March 10.
As the Trump administration presses forward with its hardline stance, Khalil’s case may prove a litmus test for the balance between national security and free expression in an increasingly polarised America. For now, his fate—and that of others like him—hangs in the balance.