Former Columbia Student Arrested by ICE Amid Campus Protest Crackdown

Federal immigration authorities arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student and key figure in last year’s pro-Palestinian protests, citing a State Department order to revoke his green card, his attorney said.

Khalil, a Palestinian refugee raised in Syria who graduated in December, was taken into custody on Saturday from his university-owned apartment near Columbia’s New York campus. According to his lawyer, Amy Greer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered the building and detained him without providing an explanation to his wife, who is eight months pregnant.

A prominent student activist, Khalil played a central role in organizing last spring’s pro-Palestinian encampment protests at Columbia, part of nationwide demonstrations against Israel’s war on Gaza. He was also chosen as a student negotiator in discussions with university administrators.

In addition, Khalil had been under investigation by Columbia’s newly formed Office of Institutional Equity, which was tasked with reviewing students who criticized Israel. Reports indicate that students faced disciplinary notices for social media posts and participation in unauthorized protests.

“We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer told the Associated Press. “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.”

Greer also revealed that an ICE agent initially stated they were revoking Khalil’s student visa, but when informed that he was a permanent resident with a green card, the agent claimed that was also being revoked. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Under U.S. law, only an immigration court has the authority to revoke a green card. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced plans to revoke visas of foreign nationals deemed to support Hamas or other terrorist organizations, using artificial intelligence to identify individuals.

Columbia University has been under federal scrutiny in recent months. On Friday, the administration announced it would withdraw $400 million in grants and contracts from the university, citing its alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus.

The arrest comes amid the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on student activists critical of Israel. President Donald Trump has pledged to deport foreign students and imprison protesters involved in demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza.