‘First arrest of many to return’: Trump confirms detention of pro-Palestinian campus protester

US President Donald Trump on Monday mentioned that the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a frontrunner of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia College in New York, is “the primary arrest of many to return.”

Taking to Reality Social, Trump mentioned, “Following my beforehand signed Government Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Overseas Professional-Hamas Pupil on the campus of Columbia College. That is the primary arrest of many to return.”

He mentioned there are extra college students at Columbia and different universities throughout the nation who’ve engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-semitic, anti-American exercise, and the Trump Administration is not going to tolerate it.

“Many should not college students, they’re paid agitators. We are going to discover, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our nation — by no means to return once more. For those who help terrorism, together with the slaughtering of harmless males, girls, and youngsters, your presence is opposite to our nationwide and overseas coverage pursuits, and you aren’t welcome right here. We count on each considered one of America’s Faculties and Universities to conform. Thanks!” added Trump.

US campuses, together with Columbia College, skilled intense pupil protests in opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault. These demonstrations sparked allegations of anti-Semitism.

Some protests turned violent, resulting in the occupation of campus buildings and disruptions of lectures, making a divide between college students opposing Israel’s conduct and pro-Israel advocates, lots of whom have been Jewish.

The transfer to arrest and detain Mahmoud comes after the Trump administration introduced final week that it will revoke about $400m in federal grants and contracts from Columbia College.

The Trump administration alleges that the college has not performed sufficient to cease antisemitism on campus.

“Universities should adjust to all federal anti-discrimination legal guidelines if they’ll obtain federal funding. For too lengthy, Columbia has deserted that obligation to Jewish college students finding out on its campus,” The Guardian quoted training secretary Linda McMahon as saying in an announcement on Friday.

Khalil’s arrest is the primary publicly recognized deportation effort beneath Trump’s promised crackdown on college students who joined protests in opposition to the conflict in Gaza that swept faculty campuses final spring.

In response to studies of Khalil’s detention, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on X, “We will probably be revoking the visas and/or inexperienced playing cards of Hamas supporters in America to allow them to be deported.”

CNN beforehand reported that Khalil was arrested Saturday evening by federal immigration authorities who mentioned they have been appearing on a State Division order to revoke his inexperienced card, in keeping with his lawyer.

With inputs from companies