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New York police officers in riot gear enter Columbia University's encampment as they evict a building that had been barricaded by pro-Palestinian student protesters in New York City on April 30, 2024. Emily Byrski, AFP/File

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Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17415818151397efce81a80e147655f2d08f8fdbb59b98b4283b8a773a43fc84c9918af2af52e.webp" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">New York police officers in riot gear enter Columbia University&#x27;s encampment as they evict a building that had been barricaded by pro-Palestinian student protesters in New York City on April 30, 2024. <em>Emily Byrski, AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>NEW YORK, United States — Immigration officers have arrested a leader of the protests at Columbia University against Israel&#x27;s war in Gaza, authorities said Sunday, after US President Donald Trump vowed to deport foreign pro-Palestinian student demonstrators.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/4/30/columbia-protest-1130">Protesters at Columbia defy ultimatum</a></div><p>Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent faces of the university&#x27;s protest movement that erupted in response to Israel&#x27;s conduct of the war, was arrested on Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on X.</p><p>The agency said the action was taken &quot;in support of President Trump&#x27;s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State.&quot;</p><p>The Student Workers of Columbia Union said in a statement that Khalil had been detained on Saturday, describing him as &quot;a Palestinian recent Columbia graduate and lead negotiator for last spring&#x27;s Gaza solidarity encampment.&quot;</p><p>US campuses including Columbia&#x27;s in New York were rocked by student protests against Israel&#x27;s war in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The demonstrations ignited accusations of anti-Semitism.</p><p>Protests, some of which turned violent and saw campus buildings occupied and lectures disrupted, pitted students protesting Israel&#x27;s conduct against pro-Israel campaigners, many of whom were Jewish.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/4/fil-am-professor-backs-pro-palestine-protest-in-columbia-university-1959">Fil-Am professor to pro-Palestine student protesters: &#x27;You are on the right side of history&#x27;</a></div><p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that &quot;we will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.&quot;</p><p>Khalil, who remains in immigration enforcement detention, held permanent residency at the time of his arrest prompting thousands of people to sign a petition calling for his release, the union statement added.</p><p>&quot;We are also aware of multiple reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents accessing or attempting to access Columbia campus buildings on Friday and Saturday, including undergraduate dorms,&quot; the union said.</p><p>Columbia did not directly address Khalil&#x27;s arrest in response to inquiries, but in a statement said &quot;there have been reports of ICE in the streets around campus.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Columbia has and will continue to follow the law. Consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas, including University buildings,&quot; Columbia said.</p><p>In its post on X, the DHS said Khalil &quot;led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,&quot; without further details.</p><p>Trump railed against the student protest movement linked to the conflict in Gaza, and vowed to deport foreign students who had demonstrated.</p><p>He also threatened to cut off federal funding for institutions that he said were not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism.</p><p>His administration announced Friday it was cutting $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, accusing it of failing to protect Jewish students from harassment.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i0yiDmu2-s0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent faces of Columbia University's protest, was arrested on Sunday.</p>

Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent faces of Columbia University's protest, was arrested on Sunday.

Trump admin detains pro-Palestinian campus protest leader

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Trump admin detains pro-Palestinian campus protest leader

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 10, 2025 01:06 PM PHT

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