Activist and Columbia Graduate Mahmoud Khalil Detained by ICE Amid Anti-Semitism Crackdown, Legal Battle Ensues

Over the past weekend, Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate from Columbia University and known activist, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, per his lawyer, Amy E. Greer of Dratel & Lewis. Arrested at his university-owned apartment, the ICE team asserted that his student visa had expired, despite Khalil being a legal permanent resident, as reported by The New York Post. The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, confirmed the arrest, aligning it with President Trump's executive orders that focus on curbing anti-Semitism.

With the arrest transpiring near the Columbia campus, reports emerged on Mahmoud's alleged involvement with Hamas, labeled a terrorist organization. "On March 9, 2025, in support of President Trump's executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student," McLaughlin told reporters, as stated by Gothamist. The action comes in the wake of student-led pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia's campus, which have caused disturbances and led to adjustments in the academic calendar. After the arrest, Greer filed a habeas corpus petition to challenge the legality of Khalil's detention, noting that his exact location was unconfirmed and there was a possibility he might be transferred to a distant ICE facility.

The controversy around his arrest has escalated as the activist reportedly led unruly protests on the campus. According to a New York Post article, Khalil had been involved in past protests, including a recent takeover of the Milstein Library at Barnard College, which included distributing material from groups acknowledged as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government. Echoing this sentiment, Ari Shrage, head of Columbia's Jewish Alumni Association, expressed his concerns over these materials when interviewed by The Post.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, condemned the arrest. "The unlawful detention of Mr. Khalil reeks of McCarthyism," she was quoted saying by Gothamist. Following the outcry, Columbia University stated its acknowledgment of ICE's presence around the campus, reiterating law enforcement's need for a judicial warrant to enter non-public university buildings. As Khalil's attorneys and supporters scramble to counter his detention, the backdrop features Trump's recent maneuver to retract federal funding from Columbia University, exacerbating the contention surrounding campus politics and free speech.

An Action Network petition calling for Khalil's immediate release has garnered significant attention, drawing in upwards of 349,000 signatures. As for the graduate student, his involvement in Columbia United Apartheid Divest and affiliated demonstrations aiming to impact the university's stance and investments has become a lightning rod for the latest governmental action under Trump's administration. Meanwhile, Trump's hardline approach to campus activism continues to ripple through academia, with potential implications for federal funding and the enforcement of immigration policies on students.