US President Donald Trump has welcomed the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student who led pro-Palestinian protests on campus, declaring it the “first arrest of many to come.” Trump asserted that his administration will apprehend and deport “terrorist sympathizers” from the United States, ensuring they “never return again.”
On Monday, Trump took to Truth Social, emphasizing his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on pro-terrorist and anti-Semitic activities. “Following my previously signed Executive Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other universities across the country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it,” Trump stated.
Trump further alleged that many involved in these protests were not genuine students but “paid agitators.” He warned that his administration would continue efforts to identify, apprehend, and deport those perceived as threats to national security. “If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s colleges and universities to comply,” he added.
Khalil was reportedly arrested by federal immigration authorities acting on a State Department order to revoke his green card, according to his attorney. However, a federal judge in New York has temporarily blocked any deportation efforts pending a court conference scheduled for Wednesday. Court documents indicate that Khalil cannot be removed from the United States until the court issues a ruling.
The arrest marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s crackdown on campus dissent. Trump had previously pledged to target anti-Israel protests on college campuses, which he claimed often included anti-Semitic rhetoric and drew widespread criticism.
In January, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses and take action against “Hamas sympathizers” among students. The order also mandated federal agencies to report legal measures available to counter such activities.
The backdrop for these actions is the rise in campus demonstrations following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in over 1,100 Israeli deaths. Israel’s subsequent military response in Gaza has reportedly claimed more than 40,000 Palestinian lives, fueling further protests across US universities. Last spring alone, over 2,000 arrests were made in connection with these demonstrations.
