Federal immigration agents arrested MAHMOUD KHALIL, a prominent anti-Israel protester at Columbia University, last month without a warrant, according to new court documents. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the arrest as lawful, citing concerns over national security and KHALIL‘s alleged ties to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
KHALIL, a Palestinian raised in Syria and a permanent U.S. resident, was taken into custody from his university-owned apartment in New York City by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Agents informed him that his green card and student visa were being revoked, according to his attorney, AMY GREER. He was subsequently transferred to a detention center in Louisiana.
Court filings reveal that on March 8, agents approached KHALIL to verify his identity. When he allegedly refused to cooperate and attempted to leave, a supervisory agent deemed him a flight risk and proceeded with the arrest. However, KHALIL‘s legal team disputes this account, asserting that his wife retrieved his Green Card from their apartment, only for agents to arrest him without presenting a warrant.
GREER, who was on the phone with KHALIL during the arrest, stated that he remained calm and compliant. She emphasized that video evidence released by KHALIL‘s wife supports his cooperation. “Today, we now know why they never showed MAHMOUD that warrant — they didn’t have one,” GREER said. “This is clearly yet another desperate attempt by the Trump administration to justify its unlawful arrest and detention of a human rights defender, who is now, by the government’s own tacit admission, a political prisoner of the United States.”
The DHS has maintained that the arrest was necessary to protect national security, alleging that KHALIL led activities aligned with Hamas. KHALIL, who served as a spokesperson for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of student groups advocating for the university to divest from Israel, has not been charged with any crime.
An immigration judge has ruled that KHALIL can be deported, citing his involvement in the protests at Columbia University. His attorneys are appealing the decision, arguing that the government has provided no evidence of his refusal to cooperate during the arrest.
MARC VAN DER HOUT, another attorney for KHALIL, criticized the government’s actions, stating, “The government’s admission is astounding, and it is completely outrageous that they tried to assert to the immigration judge — and the world — in their initial filing of the arrest report that there was an arrest warrant when there was none. This is egregious conduct by DHS that should require, under the law, termination of these proceedings.”
KHALIL, who completed his master’s degree at Columbia in December, is the grandson of Palestinians displaced from their homeland. His wife, a U.S. citizen, recently gave birth to their child. Despite his request for temporary release to attend the birth, ICE denied his appeals, resulting in his absence during the event.
The case has ignited widespread protests in New York City, including a demonstration at Trump Tower last month that led to nearly 100 arrests. It is also seen as a reflection of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to detain and deport visa holders involved in campus protests.
White House Press Secretary KAROLINE LEAVITT defended the administration’s actions, claiming that KHALIL distributed pro-Hamas propaganda on campus. “This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans,” LEAVITT stated. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for siding with terrorists, period.”
The case continues to draw national attention as KHALIL‘s legal team fights to overturn the deportation ruling and hold the government accountable for its actions.
[Sources: CNN, Fox News, The Associated Press]