Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a inexperienced card-holding Columbia College graduate scholar and pro-Palestinian activist, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported,” Rubio stated on the social platform X, sharing a information report concerning Khalil.
Khalil was arrested at his college residence Saturday, in line with the Scholar Staff of Columbia labor union.
The union describes Khalil as a “lead negotiator” and referred to as on Columbia to reinstate its “Sanctuary Campus Policy” after studies of ICE accessing a number of buildings on the college Friday and Saturday.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Division of Homeland Safety, additionally confirmed Khalil’s arrest in an announcement Sunday to The Related Press, describing the transfer as “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.”
The arrest raises severe constitutional questions, as Khalil is a authorized everlasting resident who has not been charged with any crime. Solely an immigration choose has the authority to revoke a inexperienced card.
Amy Greer, Khalil’s legal professional, informed the AP she knowledgeable ICE brokers of his immigration standing, solely to be informed they have been appearing on State Division orders to revoke his scholar visa.
“By allowing ICE on campus, Columbia is surrendering to the Trump administration’s assault on universities across the country and sacrificing international students to protect its finances. We call on faculty, staff, postdocs, students, and all other workers at Columbia University to stand against the administration’s cooperation with the Trump administration,” the scholar labor union stated, as hundreds have signed a petition for the discharge of Khalil.
The give attention to Columbia College comes after the Trump administration canceled $400 million of federal contracts with the college over its alleged inaction towards antisemitism on campus.
College students at Columbia took the lead within the nationwide pro-Palestinian encampments final spring that led to virtually 2,000 arrests throughout the nation.
After studies of ICE on campus, Columbia College stated it requires legislation enforcement to have a judicial warrant to enter nonpublic components of campus and can “continue to follow the law.”
