Overview

• Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian activist, was arrested by ICE on March 8, 2025, over alleged ties to Hamas and omissions on his green card application.
• Protests escalated on March 29, with Columbia alumni and students tearing up diplomas to denounce Khalil's detention and the university's perceived complicity.
• The Trump administration has expanded its justification for Khalil's deportation, citing undisclosed ties to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
• Columbia University faces mounting criticism for failing to protect students and for complying with federal demands, including stricter protest policies under threat of funding cuts.
• Khalil remains in detention in Louisiana, with his deportation temporarily blocked by a federal judge, as protests and legal battles continue nationwide.