Trump’s warning about further crackdowns on pro-Palestinian student protests, following the controversial arrest of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, has sparked intense debates across political, civil rights, and academic circles. The 30-year-old activist, a lawful US resident and green card holder, was detained by federal immigration agents in New York on Saturday and subsequently transferred to an immigration detention center in Louisiana. However, his deportation has been temporarily halted after a federal judge intervened, setting a court hearing for Wednesday to review a legal petition challenging his arrest and detention.
The arrest has triggered widespread outrage among civil rights organizations, student advocacy groups, and free speech defenders, who argue that the US government is using immigration laws as a tool to suppress dissent, particularly against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Khalil, who was born to Palestinian parents in Syria, moved to the US in 2022 to pursue his studies at Columbia University. He quickly became a prominent figure in student-led pro-Palestinian demonstrations, playing a key role in organizing protests and advocating for Palestinian human rights. His involvement drew significant attention from both supporters and critics, with pro-Israel groups lobbying for action against him, alleging that his activism had crossed the line into harassment and anti-Semitism.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump defended his administration’s crackdown, alleging that many protesters are not legitimate students but "paid agitators" seeking to disrupt educational institutions. He vowed that his administration would not tolerate what he described as "pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American activity" on college campuses, reinforcing his broader hardline stance against student activism that he views as disruptive or hostile to US foreign policy interests. Trump’s comments have further inflamed tensions, with critics accusing him of attempting to criminalize dissent and curtail freedom of expression in an academic setting.
Meanwhile, the US Education Department has intensified its scrutiny of universities, issuing warnings to approximately 60 institutions—including prestigious Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Cornell—threatening to withdraw federal financial aid if they fail to address alleged antisemitic harassment and ensure an environment of “uninterrupted access” to education and campus resources. In what is seen as a highly controversial move, the administration has already decided to pull $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, a decision that has provoked strong reactions from faculty members, students, and civil liberties organizations who see it as a form of political retaliation.
Khalil’s lawyer, Amy Greer, has forcefully argued that the arrest and attempted deportation are politically motivated, emphasizing that her client’s student visa was revoked despite his lawful permanent resident status in the US. She further alleged that immigration officials not only targeted Khalil but also threatened to detain his wife, a US citizen who is currently eight months pregnant, an action that she described as an attempt to intimidate and silence his advocacy efforts. Greer and her legal team have framed Khalil’s detention as a direct attack on free speech, maintaining that his activism—centered on peacefully advocating for Palestinian rights—falls within the protections guaranteed by the US Constitution.
Khalil’s case is expected to set a significant precedent regarding the intersection of immigration enforcement, student activism, and political expression in the US. The upcoming court hearing on Wednesday will determine whether he will be allowed to remain in the country or face deportation, with broader implications for international students, activists, and immigrants involved in political movements. The outcome could influence future policies on campus protests and the extent to which the federal government can intervene in university affairs under the banner of national security and public order.
