Former Columbia Student Arrested for Anti-Semitic Activities Linked to Hamas

MANHATTAN, N.Y. — Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian national and former Columbia University student, was arrested by immigration enforcement agents on Saturday and is currently being held in a detention facility in Louisiana. The Department of Homeland Security reported that Khalil’s arrest was executed in coordination with the State Department and was part of an effort “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.” Khalil is accused of leading pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus and engaging in activities aligned with the terrorist organization Hamas.

The arrest took place at Khalil’s Columbia University-affiliated apartment, where he had been an active student for over a year, promoting pro-Hamas sentiments. He has been implicated in escalating anti-Semitic incidents that have severely disrupted campus life at Columbia and its sister school, Barnard College. In response to the heightened tensions surrounding these events, Columbia University had imposed strict lockdown measures on its campus.

On Monday, a federal judge blocked Khalil’s deportation pending a hearing set for the following Wednesday. However, the White House has expressed intent to proceed with his removal from the country. Khalil, a prominent leader within the group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, had openly declared his commitment to making the university uninhabitable until it renounces Israel.

“As long as Columbia continues to invest and benefit from Israeli apartheid, the students will continue to resist,” Khalil stated in a previous interview. His actions reportedly included obstructing classes and inciting unrest during protests, which culminated in a notorious incident last January when demonstrators disrupted a course on the History of Modern Israel.

Columbia University Apartheid Divest took to social media to celebrate the disruption, spurring further backlash from the university administration. Following these protests, Barnard College’s president, Laura Rosenbury, expelled two students involved in similar actions, arguing that “when rules are broken, we must act.” This decision incited protests at Barnard, resulting in students blocking entrances and disrupting classes.

Witnesses noted Khalil’s presence at the protest where students brandished materials promoting anti-Israel narratives and displayed messages supporting violence against Jewish individuals. His actions have drawn considerable scrutiny as the Trump administration signals a tougher stance on individuals with ties to Hamas.

In light of Khalil’s arrest, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the administration is reviewing the visa status of other Hamas supporters in the U.S., echoing a broader crackdown on individuals linked to terrorism. These measures reflect a promise by the Trump administration to uphold national security amid growing concerns regarding anti-Israel activism on university campuses.

The Trump administration’s actions, including the proposed deportation of Khalil, have ignited a contentious debate regarding free speech and political protest in American universities, leading to calls for a thorough reevaluation of immigration policies in instances involving individuals accused of supporting terrorism.