US President Donald Trump declared that the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a outstanding Palestinian activist and Columbia College graduate, was “the primary arrest of many to return” as a part of a crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism in US universities. Khalil, a everlasting US resident with a inexperienced card, was detained over the weekend by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers appearing on a State Division order to revoke his inexperienced card.
Trump’s feedback, posted on Reality Social, warned of extra arrests concentrating on activists at universities throughout the nation. He claimed that many of those activists have been “paid agitators” and vowed to “discover, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers” for his or her help of Palestinians. Trump added, with out offering proof, that such activists engaged in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American exercise” and shouldn’t be welcome within the US He ended his submit with a Hebrew phrase for goodbye, “Shalom,” geared toward Khalil.
Khalil, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, was a lead negotiator for Columbia’s Gaza solidarity encampment final yr, the place he mediated between protesters and college directors. His activism, significantly his advocacy for Palestinian human rights, has made him a goal of each pro-Israel teams and US authorities. The arrest, which occurred on Saturday evening at Khalil’s university-owned house simply blocks from the Columbia campus, has drawn widespread condemnation from civil rights teams and free speech advocates.
Khalil’s lawyer revealed that the activist had been subjected to an internet “doxxing marketing campaign” within the days main as much as his arrest, with threats from Columbia associates. Khalil had urgently reached out to Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, searching for safety from ICE and expressing concern that he could be detained or harmed. In his electronic mail, Khalil wrote, “I haven’t been in a position to sleep, fearing that ICE or a harmful particular person may come to my dwelling.”
Columbia College, in a letter issued, denied that any member of the administration had requested ICE’s presence on or close to campus, calling rumors on the contrary false. Initially, it was reported that Khalil was being held at an immigration detention facility in New Jersey, however his spouse, who’s eight months pregnant, couldn’t find him there. As of Monday, it was confirmed that Khalil is being held on the La Salle Detention Heart in Louisiana.
The arrest has sparked outrage from free speech organizations, civil rights teams, and native New York Metropolis leaders. Critics have referred to as the detention “an egregious violation of the First Modification” and accused the Trump administration of weaponizing immigration legal guidelines to suppress political dissent. The arrest has additionally raised issues concerning the broader implications for activists talking out on Palestinian rights and different politically delicate points within the US
“By arresting Mahmoud, Trump thinks he can strip us of our rights and strip us of our dedication to our individuals,” stated Ibtihal Malley, a scholar from New York College, throughout a protest in Manhattan on Monday. A number of hundred individuals gathered at an ICE subject workplace, voicing their condemnation of the administration’s actions.
Khalil’s case is the primary recognized arrest beneath the Trump administration concentrating on activists primarily based on their political opinions. His authorized staff has filed a petition difficult the legality of his detention, and a federal decide in New York Metropolis has set a listening to for Wednesday to contemplate his case.
Khalil’s supporters argue that his detention is a part of a broader sample of repression in opposition to Palestinian solidarity actions within the US , geared toward stifling free speech and silencing those that communicate out in opposition to Israeli insurance policies. The arrest has galvanized pro-Palestinian teams, with rallies deliberate nationwide to demand his launch and defend the precise to protest and advocate for Palestinian rights.
“We is not going to let this stand,” stated Maryam Alwan, a Columbia scholar and activist. “We stand with Mahmoud, and we stand for justice. That is just the start of our struggle.”