6 months ago
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(NewsNation) — Palestinian activistic Mahmoud Khalil has been arrested astatine New York's Columbia University arsenic portion of President Donald Trump's committedness to ace down connected what helium calls illegal field protests.
Khalil's attorney, Amy Greer, told the Associated Press that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers entered Khalil's university-owned apartment, conscionable blocks from Columbia's Manhattan campus, and arrested him connected Saturday night.
The agents claimed they were acting connected a State Department bid to revoke Khalil's greenish card, Greer said.
Who is Mahmoud Khalil?
Khalil, who was actively progressive successful pro-Palestinian protests astatine Columbia past spring, was 1 of fewer protesters to publically stock his name.
Khalil is simply a legal, imperishable U.S. nonmigratory who grew up successful Syria, according to his attorney, and is joined to a U.S. national who is 8 months pregnant.
Greer told the Associated Press that Khalil's woman does not cognize his whereabouts and that authorities person declined to explicate his detention to her.
Khalil has since been transferred to an migration detention installation successful Elizabeth, New Jersey, according to the Associated Press.
One ICE serviceman told Greer by telephone that they were executing a State Department bid to revoke Khalil’s pupil visa. Informed that Khalil, who graduated successful December, was successful the United States arsenic a imperishable nonmigratory with a greenish card, the cause said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer.
Columbia University contracts canceled implicit antisemitism allegations
The Department of Homeland Security said successful a social media post that it had arrested Khalil because helium has "led activities aligned to Hamas," without elaborating.
A Homeland Security spokesperson said Khalil's apprehension aligns with the Trump administration's threats to deport overseas students progressive successful pro-Palestinian protests. The medication has claimed that by allegedly supporting Hamas against Israel’s warfare successful Gaza, students person forfeited their close to stay successful the U.S.
Trump emphasized this stance connected Tuesday, vowing that "agitators volition beryllium imprisoned/or permanently sent backmost to the state from which they came."
The medication has placed peculiar scrutiny connected Columbia, announcing Friday that it would beryllium cutting $400 cardinal successful grants and contracts due to the fact that of what the authorities described arsenic the school’s nonaccomplishment to squelch antisemitism connected campus.
Civil rights union slams Mahmoud Khalil's arrest
The New York Civil Liberties Union condemned Khalil's arrest, calling it "a frightening escalation" and "retaliation by the Trump administration."
A spokesperson for Columbia University said the schoolhouse is incapable to stock accusation astir students owed to ineligible restrictions but emphasized the university's committedness to protecting students' ineligible rights.
The spokesperson besides noted that instrumentality enforcement agents indispensable nutrient a warrant earlier entering assemblage spot but declined to accidental if the schoolhouse had received a warrant for Khalil’s arrest, per the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
