A New York federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s effort to arrest a Columbia University undergraduate who led questionable pro-Palestinian demonstrations on school.
On Saturday, Columbia undergraduate Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident on a clean cards from Syria, was arrested by immigration authorities. The Trump administration announced it had arrest him over his role in the university’s protests, a shift that was blocked on Monday. Judge Jesse Furman ruled Khalil may be deported until a court rules on a plea challenging the walk.
” To keep the Court’s control pending a decision on the plea, Petitioner may not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court purchases otherwise”, he wrote, ordering a reading for Wednesday over the situation.
Khalil’s confinement and probable imprisonment alarmed activists according to his position as a green card owner.
“ICE’s arrest and detention of Mahmoud follows the US government’s available suppression of student activism and social conversation, 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 emigration protection as a tool to reduce that speech”.
Others, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, said they were” concerned” about the arrest. ” My department is monitoring the situation, and we are in contact with his attorney”, she added.
According to a top homeland security official, speaking with CNN, Khalil’s confinement and possible imprisonment was based on a clause of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which holds that” an alien whose appearance or actions in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign legislation 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.
