ICE agents arrest anti-Israel activist who led protests on Columbia University campus for months

An anti-Israel activist, who students assertion was a person of protests and encampments connected the Columbia University field successful New York City for months, has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to Fox News sources.

On Saturday, Mahmoud Khalil was taken into custody astatine his university-owned flat connected the city’s Upper West Side. 

ICE agents told Khalil that they were acting connected a State Department bid to revoke his greenish paper and pupil visa, according to Khalil's attorney, Amy E. Greer of Dratel & Lewis. She released a connection alleging that ICE agents wrongfully arrested Khalil.

"Last nighttime ICE agents wrongfully arrested Mahmoud Khalil, claiming his pupil visa was revoked – adjacent though Mahmoud is ineligible imperishable nonmigratory (green card) and not successful the U.S. connected a pupil visa," Greer said. "Confronted with that fact, the ICE agents detained him anyway."

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Mahmoud Khalil is seen connected the Columbia University field successful New York astatine an anti-Israel protestation encampment connected April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

Greer said the steadfast filed a habeas corpus petition overnight connected "Mahmoud’s behalf challenging the validity of his apprehension and detention."

"Currently, we bash not cognize Mahmoud’s precise whereabouts. Initially, we were informed this greeting that helium had been transferred to an ICE installation successful Elizabeth, New Jersey," Greer added.

"However, erstwhile his woman – a U.S. national who is 8 months’ large and was threatened with apprehension arsenic good by the ICE agents past nighttime – tried to sojourn him determination today, she was told helium is not detained there."

Greer added that the steadfast has received reports that Khalil whitethorn beryllium transferred arsenic acold distant arsenic Louisiana.  

"We volition vigorously beryllium pursuing Mahmoud’s rights successful court, and volition proceed our efforts to close this unspeakable and inexcusable – and calculated – incorrect committed against him," Greer said. 

"ICE’s apprehension and detention of Mahmoud follows the U.S. government’s unfastened repression of pupil activism and governmental speech, specifically targeting students astatine Columbia University for disapproval of Israel’s battle connected Gaza. The U.S. authorities has made wide that they volition usage migration enforcement arsenic a instrumentality to suppress that speech. Many individuals and organizations person expressed enactment for Mahmoud and outrage astatine the government’s conduct, and person offered their assistance successful the ineligible proceedings. Mahmoud greatly appreciates each of that support, arsenic bash we." — Amy E. Greer, lawyer astatine Dratel & Lewis

Fox News reached retired to Columbia media affairs, who would not corroborate Khalil's presumption astatine the university. The Associated Press reported that Khalil graduated from Columbia successful December.

"There person been reports of ICE successful the streets astir campus. Columbia has and volition proceed to travel the law," the assemblage posted successful a connection connected the school's website.

"We privation to again pass to our field assemblage that we person a protocol in place, which includes phone numbers to telephone successful lawsuit you are approached connected oregon disconnected campus. Consistent with this protocol, and accordant with our longstanding signifier and the signifier of cities and institutions passim the country, instrumentality enforcement indispensable person a judicial warrant to participate non-public University areas, including residential University buildings," the connection said.

"Columbia is committed to complying with each ineligible obligations and supporting our pupil assemblage and field community. We are besides committed to the ineligible rights of our students and impulse each members of the assemblage to beryllium respectful of those rights."

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Anti-Israel agitators staged encampments connected Columbia University's campus. (Getty Images)

A Muslim civilian rights enactment besides came to Khalil's defence and claimed helium "is a lawful imperishable resident" and vowed that the "fight is conscionable starting."

"Columbia University postgraduate Mahmoud Khalil is simply a lawful imperishable nonmigratory of our federation who has not been charged with oregon convicted of a azygous crime," CAIR National said successful a station connected X.

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"The Department of Homeland Security's lawless determination to apprehension him solely due to the fact that of his peaceful anti-genocide activism represents a blatant onslaught connected the First Amendment's warrant of escaped speech, migration laws, and the precise humanity of Palestinians. We and different civilian rights groups are successful connection with Mahmoud's ineligible counsel. This combat is conscionable starting."

The allegation against Khalil stemmed from his alleged engagement successful the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group, claiming helium had helped signifier an "unauthorized marching event" that glorified Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught connected Israel and played a "substantial role" successful the circulation of societal media posts criticizing Zionism, the AP reported. 

"I person astir 13 allegations against me, astir of them are societal media posts that I had thing to bash with," Khalil told the AP past week.

"They conscionable privation to amusement Congress and right-wing politicians that they’re doing something, careless of the stakes for students," helium added. "It’s chiefly an bureau to chill pro-Palestine speech."

Palestinian flags are seen astir the encampment connected the field of Columbia University successful New York City connected April 23, 2024. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

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Khalil's apprehension comes conscionable days aft President Donald Trump threatened to deport overseas students who were progressive successful what helium calls "illegal protests" connected campus. 

On Friday, the medication announced it would terminate $400 cardinal successful national grants and contracts to Columbia due to the fact that the Ivy League schoolhouse was failing to support Jewish students connected campus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price is simply a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, nationalist transgression cases, amerciable immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas tin beryllium sent to [email protected]