Pro-Palestinian Student Leader Detained by U.S. Immigration Officials Amid Controversy

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian refugee who participated in high-profile demonstrations at Columbia last year, was taken into custody by ICE agents at his university housing. Khalil's legal representative, Amy Greer, reported that he was informed of visa revocation while asserting his status as a legal permanent resident and green card holder, married to a U.S. citizen. His detention has drawn attention amid a politically charged atmosphere surrounding U.S. support for Israel and the Israeli military campaign against Hamas. The situation escalated following claims that incendiary rhetoric during the protests crossed into antisemitism, prompting criticism from various groups, including some Jewish alumni who have called for Khalil's visa revocation. Columbia's administration faces repercussions from the federal government as funding ties are severed over allegations of antisemitism on campus.

Khalil's situation is further complicated as uncertainty looms over his current whereabouts following claims of a possible transfer to a detention facility far from New York. His attorney has described his detention as “a terrible and inexcusable – and calculated – wrong,” seeking clarity amid a landscape charged with activism, counter-protests, and political maneuvering regarding immigration policy.