On Saturday, March 8, Columbia alum and activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This is a developing story.

On Saturday evening, Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate and “prominent Palestinian activist” was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE agents reportedly entered Khalil’s home in plain clothes and arrested him, claiming that his student visa had been revoked by the State Department. The arrest comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s commitment to deport international students and arrest “agitators” involved in protests related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Khalil was a prominent face of the Gaza Solidarity Encampments last year and was largely known for being a key negotiator between students and the University. According to Khalil’s lawyer, Amy Greer, ICE agents entered his Columbia-owned apartment, where he was living with his eight months-month pregnant wife. They then arrested him under the pretense of a revoked student visa. Kalil told the agents that he had a green card as well, which he was told had also been revoked. Agents then told Kalil that he would be detained. The New York Times reported that Greer does not know of Khalil’s “precise whereabouts,” and that he may be detained as far as Louisiana.

A few hours before his arrest, Khalil told Reuters he was concerned he was being targeted by the government for speaking to the media.

Over the past several days, reports of ICE presence around the Columbia campus have increased, with the University claiming that it “has and will continue to follow the law.” However, they assure students that a judicial warrant is necessary for ICE to enter campus and buildings. Bwog has reached out to Columbia Communications for comment on ICE policies and Khalil, in which they directed Bwog to two university ICE statements. 

The Trump administration has emphasized their goal to “crack down” on campus protests by deporting and arresting student demonstrators. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted, “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported” in response to Khalil’s detainment. 

Khalil’s detention comes only days after the Trump administration cancelled $400 million in federal funding to the University, citing a failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitism amid pro-Palestine protests. In a Friday night email sent to the campus community, Interim President Katrina Armstrong said that Columbia is “committed to working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns,” and was working to “evaluate the order to understand [its] potential impacts to our community.”

The University has not responded directly to Khalil’s detention or Trump’s call for the deportation of student protesters. However, Columbia Public Safety released a message outlining “protocol for potential visits to campus by [ICE],” which was then reemphasized by the Columbia College and Columbia Engineering Student Councils. The statement notes that ICE cannot get into “non-public” areas without a warrant, and gives a list of actions to take if this is done. These actions involve asking for both credentials and a warrant, as well as notifying and waiting for public safety before taking any action.   

Undergraduate student senators in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Columbia College sent resources to the community, including resources on how to interact with ICE officers and a Google form for students to detail their experiences with ICE. Further, they announced the Student Affairs Committee of the University Senate will be hosting a town hall, adding “We keep each other safe.”

Update made on March 10 at 11:30 am: Department of Homeland Security statement and email to Barnard Community

At 9:29 pm last night, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted on X that Khalil was arrested “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism” and “in coordination with the Department of State.” DHS claimed “Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.”

According to ICE records, Khalil is currently being held in the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana.

At 8:41 am this morning, the Barnard community received an email from Executive Vice President Kelli Murray with information about campus access and resources for non-US citizen community members. Along with confirming that Barnard campus remains at Level B access and repeating Columbia Public Safety’s notice that all Columbia gates besides Wein and 116th and Broadway/Amsterdam are closed, Murray stated that “Barnard’s campus, including health facilities and residence halls, are private property and may not be accessed by US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without a judicial warrant.” The email also provided a link to resources on individual rights.

This is a developing story. Bwog will continue to provide updates as new information emerges.

Columbia via Bwog Archives