Among the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump in his first weeks in office was one related to the university campus protests that occurred last year against the war initiated by Israel in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on Israeli soil.
The Trump order mandates the revocation of student visas for individuals suspected of sympathizing with Hamas. “To all foreign residents who joined the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: in 2025, we will find you and deport you,” states Trump’s executive order.
On Saturday night, agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) implemented Trump’s order by detaining Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian student at Columbia University in New York, where last year’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations drew national attention amid a debate over the conflict in the Middle East. Khalil led negotiations between protesters and university officials last spring. He graduated last December with a master’s degree in international relations.
“This is the first arrest of many to come,” Trump wrote on Monday afternoon (10), personally taking credit for Khalil’s arrest. “We will find, seize, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return.”
Khalil’s situation immediately attracted international attention due to the reason for his detention and because, according to his lawyer Amy Greer, he is not an international student with a visa, but rather a permanent resident holding a green card. Khalil is married to an American citizen who is in her eighth month of pregnancy.
A habeas corpus was filed on behalf of Khalil, contesting the legality of his arrest and detention. He received some relief on Monday night when a New York judge blocked his deportation until further notice.
Khalil’s wife, although American, has also been threatened with arrest, according to Greer. Khalil is detained in Louisiana.
Khalil’s arrest comes just days after Trump announced he would revoke $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University, accusing the school of not doing enough to prevent antisemitism on campus. Critics argue that the move aims to silence political speech critical of U.S. foreign policy.
In a statement, Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “Khalil led activities aligned with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” and linked his arrest to Trump’s executive order. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later confirmed on social media that the Trump Administration “will revoke the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
Can a green card holder be deported?
Although green card holders enjoy many of the same rights as U.S. citizens, they can still face deportation under certain conditions, typically for criminal behavior or violations of immigration law.
Foreigners can also lose their visas for endorsing or being associated with terrorist groups, but only if the government can provide material evidence.
Greer, Khalil’s lawyer, says there is no indication that her client has committed any crime or violated the terms of his residency, and that the Trump administration appears to be targeting him for his political activism and vocal opposition to Israeli policies. Immigration law experts note that deporting a green card holder solely for their political beliefs would likely violate the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and the right to protest.
Revoking a green card is also quite rare and typically requires a hearing before an immigration judge. The process is generally lengthy and requires clear evidence of wrongdoing, and given the immense delays in immigration courts, it could take years for him to get a hearing before an immigration judge.
If Khalil’s green card is ultimately revoked as a result of his activism, immigration experts say it would mark a disturbing shift in how the U.S. government interprets the scope of its power over legal permanent residents.
In any deportation case, the burden of proof lies with the government, which must prove that the individual violated U.S. immigration laws. Typically, this would involve criminal convictions or other serious legal violations. In Khalil’s case, the government would need to prove that his actions go beyond political speech and that his associations or activities pose a genuine threat to national security. His legal team argues that there are no legitimate grounds to revoke his green card or detain him.
Source: Time