A vocal Pro-Palestine-graduate student at Columbia University was arrested and is held by ICE prior to a planned appearance with a federal immigration court, according to activists and his lawyer.
Mahmoud Khalil, the main negotiator of students for the Pro-Palestinian camp at New York City College last year, was arrested on Saturday evening in his university house by agents at the Department of Homeland Security, the Associated Press reported.
Khalil, who graduated in December, is, according to federal data in the detention in an immigration -detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
According to media reports from the BBC, Khalil was a Palestinian refugee who grew up in Syria. At one point he emigrated to the United States to follow a course at the Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.
Amy Greer, Khalil's lawyer, said that she was told by a DHS agent by telephone that his team had carried out an order from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to withdraw Khalil's student visa. The agent also said they caught up with his green card.
Greer told the AP that “she could not get more details about why he is being held.”
Dailymail.com approached DHS, the immigration and customs enforcement field office in New York City and the White House for comments. Columbia University refused to comment.
Mahmoud Khalil, the main negotiator of students for the Pro-Palestinian camp, was currently arrested by the Ministry of Interior Security Security, is currently being held
Khalil's student visa and green card were reportedly subjected to a withdrawal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to his lawyer (depicted: Students protesting against the war in Gaza at Columbia University on the birthday of the attacks of 7 October)
The activists who are lobbying for the release of Khalil say that he was confronted in his apartment building at 8:30 pm by two normal clothing DHS agents, who both refused to identify themselves.
His wife, who is eight months pregnant and an American citizen, was reportedly there. The activists said she was threatened with arrest if she “stayed by his side.”
According to American legislation, only immigration judges have the power to remove someone's permanent place of residence.
Land for withdrawal, including lying on your green card request or committing certain types of crimes and drug crimes.
The arrest of Khalil comes when President Donald Trump announced that he would cut $ 400 million in subsidies and contracts to Columbia for the absence to control the pro-Palestinian protests.
There is an online petition that demands the release of Khalil with more than 52,000 signatures, according to Action Network, a tool that collects political donations and serves as a basis to organize campaigns for writing letters.
The arrest of Khalil also comes two days after the Columbia University has issued a statement in which the presence of ICE agents is confirmed on campus.
'There have been reports of ice on campus. Columbia has and will continue to follow the law, “the Thursday statement began.
'In accordance with our long-term practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial order to enter non-public university areas, including university buildings.
“Columbia strives to comply with all legal obligations and supporting our student body and campus community.”
Khalil (photo) focuses on the media on 1 June 2024, after a new camp on the Morningside Heights -Campus of Columbia appeared
Protests have since resumed in Columbia with the start of the new semester in September, although not on the same scale as last year
The university has also advised students on how to deal with ICE agents, also through them to ask for references and to call the public safety office of the campus.
Khalil was in the front line of the noisy Pro-Palestinian demonstrations that consumed university campuses throughout the country last year.
At the end of April 2024, hundreds of students set up a camp in Columbia, who took over the quad while protesting against the continuous war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
On April 30, dozens of protesters took over Hamilton Hall and barricaded themselves inside before they hung a 'free Palestine' banner on a window.
That same night, police officers stormed the building in New York City in Riot Gear and also cleared the camp.
Before the protest was caught, Khalil was the most important management between the students and the university administration.
Protests have since resumed in Columbia with the start of the new semester in September, although not on the same scale as last year.
