The scope of the condemnation has grown quickly beyond the core of devoted Palestinian activists [Getty]
Nearly a week after his arrest without a warrant, outrage over the continued detention of New York-based Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is growing, as more students face government crackdowns, including at least one more arrest.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed, more than a hundred members of Congress have signed on to a letter demanding answers to the detention, and public demonstrations across the US are growing, with the largest planned for Saturday.
On 8 March, Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate, was returning home with his pregnant wife when he was apprehended by unidentified plainclothes law enforcement agents who neither presented a warrant nor provided a reason for his arrest.
The scope of the condemnation has grown quickly beyond the core of devoted Palestinian activists. Given the questionable circumstances of the arrest, followed by multiple reports of government raids on university campuses, many are raising concerns over the precedence of Khalil’s detention.
He is a green card holder married to a US citizen, and the main point of contention for the US administration with him is his history of protest against US foreign policy. Under the constitution, his residency and right to free expression are protected.
“There is no legal justification for this. It’s clearly an effort to use this as a test case. It’s the weakest case they could find,” James Zogby, a veteran pollster and president of the Arab American Institute, told The New Arab.
“Even if he had said things that were uncomfortable for pro-Israel people to hear, he has the right to free speech,” he said. “This is an effort to lay the legal framework for what they’d like to do.”
Indeed, on Friday another Columbia Palestinian student was arrested. Leqaa Kordia, originally from the West Bank was, according to the Department of Homeland Security, arrested for overstaying her F-1 student visa.
“It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked and should not be in this country. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport,” Noem posted on X.
That morning, Columbia said that the Trump administration had sent ICE to raid student dorms, allegedly for harbouring and concealing “illegal aliens” (or undocumented immigrants, as they’re more commonly referred to).
Amid the crackdown, another international Columbia student, from India, reportedly self-deported after having his visa revoked for alleged “support” of Hamas.
Earlier this week, Columbia issued a missive stating that it would not be protecting their international students and urging them to keep a low profile. The university has also revoked visas and diplomas from some students who had participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
A growing number of reports are pointing to a direct link between the Trump administration and university student crackdowns.
In a recent amended legal complaint, according to an NBC report, Khalil saw one agent approach another and said: “The White House is requesting an update”.
Shortly after the arrest, Trump vowed that Khalil’s arrest would be the first of many.
“This is a clear attempt by President Trump to make an example out of Mr. Khalil and silence dissent across the country,” said Brett Max Kaufman, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Center for Democracy, in a statement.
“No matter what your views are on Israel & Palestine, we should all be terrified of a government incarcerating its residents for their political opinions.”
