A Palestinian graduate student and activist at Columbia University was arrested by U.S. immigration agents, marking one of the first instances of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

According to Reuters, Mahmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, was taken into custody by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents on Saturday evening at his university residence, according to the Student Workers of Columbia labor union. The arrest has sparked widespread outrage among civil rights groups, who view it as a violation of free speech and an attempt to suppress political activism.

Accusations and Response from Officials

DHS officials claimed in a social media post that Khalil had “led activities aligned to Hamas”, though they did not provide details or accuse him of providing material support to the group, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization. The Department of Homeland Security and Trump administration officials have not responded to requests for clarification.

Shortly after the arrest, Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly supported the move, in a post on X.

Khalil, however, holds a U.S. green card and is married to a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, according to reports. He has denied any links to Hamas, calling the student movement at Columbia an anti-war protest that includes Jewish students and groups who oppose allegations of antisemitism.

Political and Legal Implications

Khalil’s arrest is widely seen as part of Trump’s broader efforts to curb pro-Palestinian activism on U.S. campuses. The president, who returned to office in January, has pledged to deport foreign students involved in anti-Israel demonstrations, which he has labeled antisemitic.

Trump’s administration has also cut $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University, citing its failure to adequately address antisemitic harassment on campus.

Khalil had been a key negotiator between student protesters and university administrators, but was not among those who occupied an academic building or engaged in acts that led to police intervention.

Backlash from Civil Rights Groups and Students

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has strongly condemned Khalil’s detention. Executive Director Donna Lieberman called it “a frightening escalation of Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine speech and an aggressive abuse of immigration law.”

Khalil’s friends and fellow protesters at Columbia have expressed outrage and fear.

FILE PHOTO: Students at Columbia University paint a response to a message written by Palestinians in Rafah thanking students for their support as they continue to maintain a protest encampment on campus in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, U.S., April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo

“I am horrified for my dear friend Mahmoud, who is a legal resident, and I am horrified that this is only the beginning,” Maryam Alwan, a Palestinian American senior at Columbia, told Reuters.

In response, Columbia University issued a revised policy regarding federal immigration agents on campus, stating that they may enter without a judicial arrest warrant in “exigent circumstances”, though it did not specify what those circumstances might be.

Student activists have accused the university of capitulating to government pressure to avoid further financial and political consequences.

What Happens Next?

Khalil is currently being held at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. His legal status remains uncertain, as neither DHS nor the Trump administration has specified any formal charges or a clear reason for his detention.

With legal challenges to Trump’s policies expected, civil rights groups warn that Khalil’s arrest may set a dangerous precedent for political expression and immigration enforcement under the new administration.

As the debate over free speech, student activism, and U.S. immigration policy intensifies, Columbia’s campus—and the nation—awaits the next move in this high-stakes confrontation.