A New York federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to deport a Columbia University student who led controversial pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
On Saturday, Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident on a green card from Syria, was arrested by immigration authorities. The Trump administration announced it would deport him over his involvement in the school’s protests, a move that was blocked on Monday. Judge Jesse Furman ruled Khalil cannot be deported until a court rules on a petition challenging the move.
“To preserve the Court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, Petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise,” he wrote, ordering a hearing for Wednesday over the case.
Khalil’s detention and possible deportation alarmed activists due to his status as a green card holder.
“ICE’s arrest and detention of Mahmoud follows the US government’s open repression of student activism and political speech, specifically targeting students at Columbia University for criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza,” Khalil’s attorney Amy Greer said. “The US government has made clear that they will use immigration enforcement as a tool to suppress that speech.”
Others, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, said they were “concerned” about the arrest. “My office is monitoring the situation, and we are in contact with his attorney,” she added.
According to a senior homeland security official, speaking with CNN, Khalil’s detention and possible deportation was based on a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which holds that “an alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.”
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet that the arrest was done in accordance with Trump’s recent executive order prohibiting antisemitism.
“Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” McLaughlin said in a statement Sunday night. “ICE and the Department of State are committed to enforcing President Trump’s executive orders and to protecting U.S. national security.”
COLUMBIA STUDENT ON GREEN CARD ARRESTED BY ICE OVER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST INVOLVEMENT
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Khalil’s deportation would only be the first of many.
“Following my previously signed Executive Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it,” he said.
