Columbia University Protest Organizer Detained as Deportation Concerns Persist
Mahmoud Khalil, a notable anti-Israel activist and graduate of Columbia University, is currently detained in Louisiana, facing deportation due to his involvement in organizing significant campus protests. Despite having completed his master’s degree requirements at Columbia last December, Khalil’s future now hangs in the balance.
During a recent hearing, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman granted Khalil’s legal team permission to communicate with their client over the phone. This decision comes as the team prepares to submit written arguments concerning the legal matters at hand. The Associated Press reported that Khalil will remain in Louisiana for the time being.
The hearing focused primarily on jurisdictional concerns, as Khalil’s attorneys seek to have him returned to New York and placed under supervised release. This legal maneuver follows a temporary block on Khalil’s deportation ordered by the judge.
Khalil’s detention follows his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with the Department of State, as part of efforts to enforce executive orders aimed at curtailing antisemitism. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Khalil had led activities linked to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
In reaction to Khalil’s arrest, a few Columbia University professors opted to cancel in-person classes. Emails obtained by The Washington Free Beacon revealed that English professor Joseph Albernaz promised students an “A” on a midterm, expressing his discontent with the situation.
Across numerous academic institutions nationwide, activists have rallied against Israel’s actions towards Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. Columbia University has been a hub for such activities, leading to protest encampments and subsequent tensions on campus, including reports of antisemitic harassment.
Khalil, who has been active in advocating for Columbia to divest from Israel, emphasized that student protests would continue despite the legal challenges faced by participants. He notably mentioned efforts to pressure the university through various forms of activism.
Canary Mission shared a video showing Khalil among a group of activists taking over a library at Barnard College. The protestors distributed pamphlets reportedly from the “Hamas Media Office” that defended certain actions by Hamas.
In the political sphere, the Trump administration recently withdrew approximately $400 million in federal grants from Columbia University, citing the unaddressed anti-Israel encampments and related harassment. President Trump had previously warned against the allowance of “illegal protests” on campuses, stating on TruthSocial that federal funds would be cut and agitators deported or imprisoned.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
