Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful US resident with a green card, was detained on Saturday by federal immigration agents in New York. Following his detention, he was sent to an immigration jail in Louisiana.
Following the arrest of Palestinian Activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, US President Donald Trump has stated that Khalil's arrest will be the "first of many" as his administration continues its crackdown on Palestinian activists.
Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful US resident with a green card, was detained on Saturday by federal immigration agents in New York. Following his detention, he was sent to an immigration jail in Louisiana.
Khalil's lawyers filed a legal challenged, resulting in a federal New York judge to block his deportation for the time being.
Taking note of Khalil's detention and arrest, President Trump reaffirmed his actions towards "Hamas and terrorists sympathisers" and said that this was the first of many arrests.
"We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activities. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again," Trump wrote in a social media post.
Khalil is a Palestinian activist. Born in Syria to Palestinian parents, he entered the United States to attend Columbia University in 2022 for his Masters.
During his time here, he married an American citizen, who is now eight months pregnant.
During the widespread protests against Israel's war on Gaza across US universities, Khalil was a key figure and served as a mediator between student protestors and university officials.
While students at Columbia, including those with a Jewish background, have defended Khalil, his role as a mediator was seen in a negative light by pro-Israel groups.
He has been accused of antisemitism, which he has denied, stating that his involvement in the protests was part of a broader anti-war movement which included Jewish students and groups.
Following his arrest, around a hundred protesters rallied near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Manhattan to demand his release.
Khalil's arrest has sparked a debate regarding free speech in America and the people's right to protest. Along with this, many have accused the Trump administration of silencing any criticism of Israel on American soil.
Considering that Khalil holds a green card and is a legal and lawful resident of the United States, one question comes to mind - will the Trump administration deport green card holders as well?
Yes.
Usually, green card holders have been safe from ICE crackdowns and mass deportation drives. However, following the pro Gaza movements at US colleges and universities, Trump has stated that any students, US or international will face action for being "Hamas sympathisers."
Before Khalil's arrest, a Chinese scholar from UCLA was deported for participating in an anti-Israel protest. It is important to note that this scholar was in the US on a student visa.
However, in Khalil's case, after he was detained, the Trump administration expanded its crackdown to permanent US residents, stating that the green cards of international students and immigrants would be revoked.
"We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported," Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced wrote on X.
Khalil's arrest also comes after the Trump administration cancelled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University for its "failure to combat" pro-Palestinian protests.