U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate who played a key role in leading campus protests.
Khalil now faces the possible revocation of his visa and his green card canceled, The New York Post reports. Attorney Amy Greer explained that the activist was in his university-owned apartment at the time of his arrest.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that Khalil’s arrest was linked to his “activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.” McLaughlin noted that the arrest was “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antiSemitism.”
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A petition calling for Khalil’s release has since been launched.
“This racist targeting serves to instill fear in pro-Palestine activists as well as a warning to others,” the petition says. “Add your name to demand the immediate release of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil from DHS detention and a reversal to Columbia University’s protocol permitting ICE on campus without a warrant.”
The arrest follows the Trump administration’s cancellation of $400 million in grants to Columbia University. In a joint statement from the Department of Justice), Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and the U.S. General Services Administration, the agencies said the cancellations stem from the university’s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and antiSemitic harassment on their campuses – only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”
This article originally appeared on American Faith, and is reposted with permission.
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