Attorneys representing an activist who orchestrated pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University are set to confront federal officials in court on Wednesday regarding his potential deportation.
A federal judge issued a temporary stay on Mahmoud Khalil’s deportation on Monday, preventing the government from carrying out his removal prior to Wednesday’s hearing in New York.
Khalil was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities on Saturday night at his apartment, which is affiliated with the university. His attorney, Amy Greer, mentioned that the actions were based on a State Department order to revoke Khalil’s student visa and green card, leading to his detention at a facility in Jena, Louisiana. His legal team informed that he would not be attending the New York hearing.
Khalil completed his master’s degree at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in December. At 30 years old, he is married to an American citizen who is currently eight months pregnant.
President Trump remarked on Monday that Khalil’s arrest is just the initial “of many to come” as the White House intensifies its efforts against students and perceived “agitators” protesting Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that Khalil was “granted the privilege of studying in this country at one of our premier universities – and he abused that privilege by aligning with terrorists.”
Leavitt claimed that Khalil had circulated materials on Columbia’s campus that were “pro-Hamas.”
“We uphold a zero-tolerance stance against siding with terrorists, period,” Leavitt asserted.
Although Khalil has been accused of expressing support for Hamas, he has not been publicly charged with providing any material assistance. His legal representatives argue that he is facing repercussions for exercising his rights to free speech.
In a statement on Monday, Khalil’s attorneys emphasized that he was “selected as a target to suppress entirely lawful dissent, infringing upon the First Amendment.”
The Department of Homeland Security indicated that Khalil’s arrest was “in line with President Trump’s executive orders aimed at countering antisemitism.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to social media to announce that “we will revoke the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America for deportation.”
The arrest sparked criticism from some students and faculty at Columbia University, leading to protests in Manhattan on Monday.
Katrina Armstrong, the interim president of Columbia, referred to the arrest and the federal government’s suspension of $400 million in federal funding due to alleged antisemitism on campus as “a challenging moment for our community” in her message to the Columbia University community.
“All eyes are currently on Columbia. It is our responsibility to ensure that our University and the core values of higher education, in general, continue to endure and flourish,” Armstrong stated.
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