Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by federal immigration agents on Saturday night, marking the first major deportation attempt connected to student protests against the Gaza war. Khalil, a formerly enrolled Columbia University graduate student was taken into custody at his Manhattan home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a result of outrage amongst civil rights organizations.
His attorney, Amy Greer, confirmed the claim that Khalil was targeted due to alleged ties to Hamas, which he has denied. Initially he was arrested because his visa was revoked but later they said he was being deprived of his green card that escalating the legal battle.
Khalil was also a prominent figure in Columbia University’s protests for divestment from Israeli affiliated companies. His arrest fits into the Trump administration’s increasing clampdown on anti-Israel protests, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepped into social media echoing that visas and green cards of Hamas backers “will be revoke”. 
The shift has drawn legal hrs, since Khalil is usually not billed using a criminal offense. His pregnant eight months wife was also allegedly threatened with arrest. Khalil’s current location remains unknown, intensifying fear of the denial of due process.
Columbia University has not commented on the case, but activists denounce it as a politically motivated attempt to stifle student activism. Immigration experts say the case could be the test of broader actions against pro-Palestinian activists in the US.
