A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security and the country’s top diplomats confirmed the arrest of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil until December when he helped lead protests against Israel during the Gaza War.
DHS spokesman Tricia McLaughlin confirmed in a statement to the Associated Press on Sunday that the arrest of Khalil, who had permanent residence in the United States, said it was in support of Donald Trump’s presidential order “ban anti-Semitism.”
The ministry said Khalil’s activism constituted “a activity consistent with Hamas.”
Trump Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed the arrest, adding on X: “We will revoke visas and/or green cards from U.S. Hamas supporters in order to deport them.”
Khalil served as chief negotiator for Gaza Solidarity Camp last spring at Columbia University. Khalil’s attorney didn’t know where he was detained, and his wife, an eight-month-old American citizen, tried to visit him at an immigration detention center in New Jersey before being told he was not there.
Despite having a green card, he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is therefore a permanent resident of the United States. Harrier’s lawyer said the agents on the ice hung up while they were in custody when she asked if she had an arrest warrant.
“The cruel detention of Mahmoud by the Trump administration is designed to instill terror in support of Palestinian liberal and immigrant communities,” the Jewish peace voice said in the arrest statement. “This is a fascist script. We all have to reject it strongly, and universities must start protecting their students.”
Trump vowed to deport foreign students and to participate in protests on American colleges and colleges. The second Trump administration has placed Columbia’s specific focus on Columbia, recently announced the cancellation of $400 million in grants, claiming that the school is not enough to combat anti-Semitism.
Zionist group Betar USA claims to praise Khalil’s name for posting to the Trump administration, praising his detention. The Anti-Defamation League has listed the group as a hate group, the only Jewish group on the list.
“This blatant unconstitutional act is no longer protected by freedom of speech in the United States,” Murad Wawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Union, said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “In addition, Khalil and everyone living in the United States have received proper procedures.
“Only immigration judges can revoke the green card, again demonstrating that the Trump administration is willing to ignore the law to instill fear and further the racist agenda. The Department of Homeland Security must release Khalil immediately.”
