(CLO) The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Mahmoud Khalil, who played a key role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University last year.
Khali was arrested at his dormitory on Saturday. Khali has a green card and his wife is a US citizen. However, he remains in custody and has had his permanent resident card revoked. Khalil's wife is eight months pregnant.
Mahmoud Khalil. Photo: X
Khalil’s attorney, Amy Greer, said she spoke to an ICE agent during the arrest who claimed they were acting on orders from the State Department to revoke Khalil’s student visa. When the attorney explained that Khalil was a lawful permanent resident, the ICE agent responded that his green card would be revoked.
Greer said authorities refused to provide information about why Khalil was being held. He was transferred to an immigration detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. “This is clearly an escalation. The administration is making good on their threats,” Greer said.
Khalil’s arrest could be one of the first actions under President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport international students who took part in anti-Israeli protests in the Gaza Strip last year. The Trump administration claims the students have given up their residency rights by supporting Hamas, which the US has designated as a terrorist organization.
Khalil was one of the key negotiators with Columbia University's administration on behalf of a group of student protesters. Some protesters set up camp on campus and occupied an academic building for several hours in April before police intervened. Khalil was not involved in the group that occupied the building, but acted as an intermediary between the students and the administration.
The students, who are demanding that Columbia University end its investments in companies linked to Israel, are calling for a ceasefire and an end to the war that has killed nearly 50,000 Palestinians and left the Gaza Strip in ruins with relentless airstrikes. The United States has provided much of the ammunition for the military campaign.
Columbia University has said it will review some of the student’s requests through its investment committee. It is unclear what specific legal basis ICE used to arrest him.
In an interview hours before his arrest, Khalil said he feared he was being targeted by authorities for speaking publicly in the media.
On Friday, the Trump administration announced it was canceling about $400 million worth of contracts and grants to Columbia University. The administration said the cuts, along with efforts to expel students, were in response to “anti-Semitic behavior” on campus.
Cao Phong (according to AJ, CNBC)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/my-bat-giu-thu-linh-bieu-tinh-ung-ho-palestine-o-dai-hoc-columbia-post337794.html
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