Pro-Palestine activism reignites on US campuses after Trump orders student’s arrest

By Alireza Akbari

Following the detention of Palestinian student-activist Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University on Saturday, US President Donald Trump declared it was "the first of many to come."

Trump’s statement signaled a hardline stance against pro-Palestinian individuals and entities on various US campuses engaged in advocacy work that his administration has effectively criminalized.

He described Khalil as a “radical foreign pro-Hamas student” and made it clear that his administration would show zero tolerance for any pro-Palestinian advocacy work in American universities.

“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,” the newly-elected Republican president noted in the statement posted on Social Truth.

His remarks sparked backlash from legal experts and activists, who questioned how a sitting president could publicly accuse an American citizen and green card holder of a crime without due process.

Activists and commentators also noted that Trump’s language – labeling pro-Palestinian advocacy as “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American” – suggests an impending crackdown that could conflate support for Palestinian rights with extremism.

Trump’s rhetoric echoed remarks made just a day earlier by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was responding to a story by Associated Press (AP) titled 'Immigration agents arrest Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests'.

“We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported," the top American doplomat wrote on his X handle, formerly Twitter.

The illegal abduction of Khalil, coupled with these inflammatory statements by top American government officials, sparked a heated political and legal debate dominating news headlines.

According to a habeas corpus petition filed on his behalf, Khalil was illegally detained late Saturday night in the lobby of a Columbia-owned apartment building as he returned home with his wife.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. local time, Khalil and his wife – a US citizen who is eight months pregnant – had just unlocked their building’s door when two plainclothes Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents forced their way inside behind them.

The agents initially refused to identify themselves, instead demanding Khalil confirm his identity before detaining him without any plausible explanation or legal warrant.

According to the petition, the agents threatened his wife, warning her that if she remained by his side, she would be arrested as well.

Hours later, DHS agents informed Khalil that the US Department of State had revoked his student visa – a claim that raised immediate legal concerns, as Khalil does not hold a student visa but is instead a lawful permanent resident with a green card.

His wife, to clarify his status, retrieved his green card from their apartment and presented it to the agents. One agent was visibly taken aback, reportedly muttering into his phone, “He has a green card.”

After a brief pause, the agents doubled down, stating that the State Department had “revoked that too.”

Khalil’s wife contacted his attorney, who attempted to intervene by speaking with the agents. When the lawyer requested that a copy of the warrant be sent via email, the agent abruptly ended the call.

Khalil’s arrest – amid an intensifying crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism in the US, especially on university campuses – has raised serious legal and human rights concerns.

Observers argue that the Trump administration’s rhetoric equating pro-Palestinian advocacy with terrorism sets a dangerous precedent, threatening both freedom of speech and legal due process.

Khalil was a prominent figure in last year’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia, which became a national flashpoint amid widespread protests against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

He played a key role in negotiations between protesters and university officials before graduating with a master’s degree in December, making him a known figure.

Despite his legal status as a green card holder, which grants him permanent residency in the US, Khalil was detained in a manner that his legal team has challenged as unlawful.

A habeas corpus petition was filed on Khalil’s behalf, contesting the legality of his arrest and detention.

On Monday evening, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York issued a ruling temporarily halting his deportation from the US, which was welcomed by pro-Palestinian activists.

"To preserve the Court's jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, Petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise," wrote Judge Jesse Furman, who scheduled a Wednesday morning hearing on the case.

Meantime, Khalil's attorney, Amy Greer, confirmed that he remains healthy while acknowledging that his spirits have been shaken by the ordeal.

She also stated that public statements from the Trump administration officials, including the president’s social media posts, could be used in Khalil’s defense.

Khalil’s detention has sparked a wave of criticism from legal experts and human rights advocates. Joshua Reed Eakle, president of Project Liberal, denounced the arrest on X.

“Khalil isn’t an illegal alien… he isn’t a terrorist. The Department of Homeland Security snatched him off campus, disappeared him without a trace. No charges. No trial. Just gone. This is how authoritarian regimes operate," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Baher Azmy, another attorney representing Khalil, dismissed accusations linking the student-activist to the Gaza-based resistance movement Hamas as "false and preposterous."

"So setting aside the false and preposterous premise that advocating on behalf of Palestinian human rights and to plead with public officials to stop an ongoing genocide constitutes alignment with Hamas, his speech is absolutely protected by the Constitution, and it should be chilling to everyone that the United States government could punish or try to deport someone because they disapprove of the speech they're engaged in," Azmy stated.

He warned that Khalil’s detention should serve as a chilling precedent, raising concerns that the US government may now seek to punish or deport individuals simply for engaging in political speech.

As Khalil awaits his court hearing, his case has become a litmus test for free speech, civil rights, and the criminalization of pro-Palestinian advocacy in the United States.

As outrage continues to grow over the detention of Khalil, his eight-months-pregnant wife issued an emotional plea on Monday, calling on the public to recognize the human toll of her husband’s arrest.

"For everyone reading this, I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby," he wrote in a passionate appeal.

"I need your help to bring Mahmoud home, so he is here beside me, holding my hand in the delivery room as we welcome our first child into this world. Please release Mahmoud Now."

These events unfolded days after former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s visit to Columbia University that ignited on-campus protests, as students denounced his appearance as part of a broader trend of Israeli war criminals being given a platform in US universities.

The event, organized by the Kraft Center for Jewish Life, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, was initially meant to remain confidential.

However, after details were leaked through an email, students quickly mobilized in protest.

On Tuesday evening, demonstrators gathered outside the venue, holding banners, including one that read, “Jews Hate Naftali Bennett.”

Protesters voiced their disapproval of Bennett’s presence on campus, and said that universities should not provide a platform for war criminals complicit in Israeli war crimes.     

A large banner was also displayed outside Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA,) reading, “War criminal off our campus… free Palestine.”

Days before Bennett’s on-campus appearance, protesters took to social media to condemn Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of SIPA, for inviting the former Israeli prime minister to campus.

In their comments, protesters described Bennett as a “war criminal” who enforced a “shoot-to-kill policy” against Palestinians as the premier and military officer.

They pointed to past remarks in which Bennett advocated for the starvation of Gaza and boasted about killing Palestinians, noting that such a war criminal should not be welcomed at the university -- especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

As the event approached on Tuesday evening, New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers were stationed inside Barnard Hall, a historic building located on the campus of Barnard College.

Despite the heightened security, students carrying Palestinian flags and banners gathered on campus, chanting, “The students united will never be defeated.”

Protesters criticized Columbia University for providing a platform to Zionist war criminals, saying that academic institutions should not normalize or whitewash Israeli genocidal violence by offering platforms to the Zionists who have blood of Palestinians on their hands. 

The demonstrations came just weeks after the late-February expulsion of a third Barnard student—a move announced following the US Department of Justice’s investigation into Columbia’s handling of so-called "antisemitism allegations."

Reportedly, the expelled student had been involved in the April 2024 protests at Hind Hall, which is named after 6-year-old Palestinian girl murdered by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza.

The first two expulsions occurred on February 21, 2025, when Barnard College expelled students accused of disrupting a “History of Modern Israel” class at Columbia University.

In response, pro-Palestinian protesters staged a sit-in at Barnard’s Milbank Hall on February 26, demanding the reversal of the expulsions and amnesty for disciplined students.

By early March, Columbia University students had begun sharing evidence online, saying that Barnard public safety officers physically assaulted at least four students during the sit-ins.

However, the backlash didn't end when Bennett left Columbia University and reaction's to his appearance carried on into the following day.

A video that went viral the day after Bennett’s appearance showed a student—reportedly from Columbia—confronting SIPA Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo on the street, criticizing her for hosting the former Israeli prime minister.

“Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo, you have blood on your hands. How do you feel? Over 140,000 Palestinians have been killed because of you… You hosted a war criminal last night—how do you feel about that?” the student said.

Condemnation of the Tuesday events extended further. In a letter to Barnard College President Laura Rosenbury, the Barnard Student Government opposed the presence of NYPD officers on campus.

Reports indicate that many protesters were taken into custody by police at Barnard Wednesday night.

Coinciding with Bennett’s visit, the Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition (CPSC) released a statement criticizing his direct involvement in war crimes, citing his role in the 1996 Qana Massacre, which killed over 100 civilians and UN peacekeepers.

Apart from his crimes at the Israeli premier, Bennett has a long history of taking direct part in the Tel Aviv regime's settler-colonial project in the occupied Palestine and Lebanon as a military officer. 

In 1993, during Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, the village of Qana came under heavy Israeli fire during a week-long Israeli campaign against Hezbollah.

Three years later, in April 1996, during Israel’s “Grapes of Wrath” offensive, Israeli forces targeted a UN peacekeeping compound in the village, where approximately 800 civilians had sought shelter.

The attack killed more than 110 people, including women and children.

At the time, Bennett was the commander of a small Israeli military unit operating inside the Israeli-occupied “security zone” in southern Lebanon.

The CPSC also cited Bennett’s history of inciting violence and advocating for discriminatory policies against Palestinians, poitning to his past remarks in which he referred to Palestinian children as “terrorists” rather than civilians.

“Columbia’s failure to take a stand against Bennett’s presence is a blatant approval of his violent actions and words, contributing to a growing climate of hostility and division with the Columbia community," the movement added.

Bennett’s appearance on campus was condemned by multiple student organizations, including Columbia Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace, Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition, and CU Jews for Ceasefire, who accused the university of “fostering a hostile environment for Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian students.”

Protesters from Neturei Karta, an anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish group, also joined the demonstration, holding signs that read, “Judaism Condemns" Israel and its atrocities.”

Among the Palestinian flags displayed by protesters, one placard read, “Jews Say No to Ethnic Cleansing.”

The CPSC called on Katrina Armstrong, the university’s acting president, to cancel the event, issue a formal condemnation of Bennett’s visit, and launch a full investigation into the university’s handling of the situation.

However, according to activists, pro-Palestinian student protests have been a growing concern for the Trump administration.

Soon after Bennett's visit, which sparked massive protests, Trump took to Truth Social, threatening to cut federal funding for educational institutions that, in his words, “permit illegal protests.”

In a swift response to the protests at Columbia University—where students denounced Bennett’s visit and demanded the release of abducted Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya—the US government slashed $400 million in funding to the institution.

The Trump administration announced that it had canceled grants and contracts worth approximately $400 million allocated to Columbia University.

Meanwhile, Columbia students critical of Israel now face institutional scrutiny. Reports indicate that the university’s newly established disciplinary committee, the Office of Institutional Equity, has launched investigations against students involved in these protests.

Although Columbia University has seen several student-led demonstrations since October 2023, the Trump administration’s decision to cancel the grants signals a firm crackdown on anti-Israeli protests.

Bennett’s past visits to US universities have also been met with protests. In July 2024, his planned in-person appearance at the University of Michigan was moved online due to demonstrations.

Nearly 100 community members gathered outside the Rackham Graduate School to oppose his presence at the time, forcing the organizers to change the plan.

In November 2024, during his visit to the University of Texas at Austin, over 200 students gathered outside the LBJ School of Public Affairs for a "noise demonstration" organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee.

Protesters carried signs and chanted slogans, while law enforcement officers monitored the gathering.

Similarly, in January 2025, Bennett’s visit to Yale University sparked protests organized by pro-Palestinian activist groups. Around 80 students assembled outside the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life, holding signs and chanting slogans condemning his presence. 

Activists have noted that the protests against Bennett’s visit to Columbia should be seen as part of broader demonstrations against Israeli war criminals.          

They say, such individuals use university platforms to justify and legitimize Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which has resulted in nearly 49,000 killings since October 7, 2023.

Bennett isn’t the only Israeli war criminal to face campus outrage. Across the US, student protests have erupted against other Israeli war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant—both of whom are facing arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. 

For example, on July 24, 2024, Netanyahu visited Washington, D.C., to meet with US officials and deliver a speech to Congress.

In response, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Washington to oppose his visit. On university campuses, student groups used the occasion to organize demonstrations against US support for Israel, with protests reported at Columbia University and the University of Michigan.

In November 2024, Gallant’s planned visit to Washington, D.C., to discuss further cooperation with US amid Israeli genocidal war on Gaza sparked nationwide campus protests.

Students condemned the Biden administration for hosting him, with demonstrations at Georgetown University and George Washington University featuring sit-ins and calls for his arrest.

On February 4, 2025, Netanyahu’s return to Washington for a meeting with Trump at the White House triggered student-led protests at Columbia and Harvard. Students at the University of Chicago also held a march condemning the visit and US complicity in Israeli genocidal war on Gaza. 

In March 2024, protests erupted again when Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, traveled to Washington for talks with former Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Student-led pro-Palestinian activism across US universities culminated in April 2024, when Columbia University's Hamilton Hall became the center of major protests.

The demonstrations began on April 17, when pro-Palestinian students established the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on the university's East Butler Lawn, setting up approximately 50 tents.

Protesters barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall, raising banners and a Palestinian flag, while demanding that the university divest from companies linked to the Israeli regime and adopt greater financial transparency.

After negotiations between student organizers and university administrators failed, Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, authorized the New York police to dismantle the encampment on April 18, leading to over 100 arrests.

However, protesters re-established the encampment shortly afterward. By April 29, negotiations between protesters and Columbia University administrators had reached a stalemate.

The administration warned that students remaining in the encampment beyond a 2 p.m. deadline would face suspension, but many protesters—supported by faculty members who formed a human chain around the camp—refused to leave.

That evening, demonstrators took Hamilton Hall, a major academic building on campus and broke windows to enter and barricaded themselves inside, renaming the building "Hind’s Hall" in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed along with her family by Israeli forces.

Columbia University then requested additional NYPD support. On the night of April 30, riot police in full gear entered the campus, using flash-bang grenades to breach Hind Hall.

More than 100 protesters were arrested in the operation. Later, the administration defended the police intervention.

In August 2024, President Minouche Shafik resigned, stating that the ongoing campus unrest had taken a toll on both her and the university community.

The administration warned that students involved in the protests could face disciplinary actions, including possible expulsion, emphasizing that such demonstrations would not be tolerated.

Concerns over repressive measures against the pro-Palestinian demonstrators intensified after  Trump posted a message on Truth Social on March 4, 2025, directly addressing student protests on college campuses.

In the post, Trump threatened to cut federal funding to universities that, in his words, "permit illegal protests," obliquely referriung to pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Trump threatened to halt all federal funding for any college or school that allows “illegal protests” and vowed to imprison "agitators," in a social media statement that sparked alarm among.

"All federal funding will STOP for any college, school, or university that allows illegal protests," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"Agitators will be imprisoned or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Activists believe that Trump’s statement did not emerge in isolation but reflects a broader strategy by his administration to escalate pressure on educational institutions and stop the pro-Palestinian rallies.

Earlier, in late January 2025, Trump signed an executive order targeting campus "antisemitism", expanding on his 2019 policy.

The order directed federal agencies to investigate universities for Title VI violations if they failed to address what the administration labeled “antisemitic protests.”

Due to colleges’ heavy reliance on federal funds, grants, student loans, and research funding, analysts suggest that Trump has been using financial leverage as a tool to pressure universities over pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

In a self-recorded video that went viral, Catherine Franke, a Columbia faculty member who was recently forced to retire from service for her pro-Palestine advocacy work, criticized the Trump administration’s decision to cut federal funding to the university.

“The fact that the university I've known and loved since the late nineteen seventies is just being picked apart and destroyed in the name of protecting Jewish students," Franke wrote.

but it's really these radical advocates for Israel on our campus that are lying about how, these protests have taken place here and how the university has aggressively disciplined the students."

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