Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and student negotiator at Columbia University, was arrested by ICE agents as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on alleged antisemitic demonstrations on campuses. His lawyer, Amy Greer, expressed concern about his inability to determine his client’s whereabouts and reported threats made by agents regarding Khalil's pregnant wife. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson claimed Khalil was involved in activities aligned with Hamas, though no supporting evidence was provided. This incident has raised alarms over the escalation of actions against international students involved in activism.
Khalil's arrest was confirmed on Sunday by Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, who said it was carried out "in support of President (Donald) Trump's executive orders prohibiting antisemitism".
Greer said that, as of Sunday evening, she did not know where her client was being detained. "We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained. This is a clear escalation."
McLaughlin alleged that Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian origin, had "led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation". She has not provided any evidence to back the claims.
The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil marks a major development in the Trump administration's pledge to arrest and deport international students involved in what it calls antisemitic campus demonstrations against Israel.
Collection
[
|
...
]