A group of Columbia University students locked themselves to a campus gate in protest over the arrest and possible deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a leading figure in the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) movement, according to a report from Fox News Digital.
The demonstration took place Wednesday outside the university’s St. Paul’s Chapel. Those protesting demanded that Columbia disclose the identity of the individual who allegedly tipped off immigration authorities about Khalil.
The Columbia Palestine Solidarity Committee posted on X: “We will not leave until our demand is met.”
They added, “FREE MAHMOUD KHALIL. NAME THE TRUSTEE. Jewish students will not leave. They will remain chained to the campus gates until @Columbia University is held accountable. WHO REPORTED MAHMOUD TO ICE?”
According to university representatives, campus security removed the chained demonstrators from the gate after approximately two hours.
Khalil, who played a central role in organizing anti-Israel protests at Columbia, was taken into custody by federal immigration officials on March 8. His arrest was linked to a broader enforcement push by the Trump administration aimed at addressing what it labels as antisemitic and “anti-American” activity on college campuses.
He originally came to the U.S. in 2022 on a student visa and later obtained permanent residency.
Federal officials claim Khalil failed to mention on his green card application that he had what they called “membership” in the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA. His legal team and UNRWA, however, said he only participated in an unpaid internship at their New York office, which was fully disclosed in his application and was part of his academic program at Columbia.
In addition, authorities allege that Khalil omitted details about what they call “continued employment” with the British embassy in Beirut after 2022.
Another accusation leveled against Khalil is that he distributed materials containing Hamas propaganda.
{Matzav.com}