Mahmoud Khalil: Nearly 100 Arrested in New York Following Trump Tower Protest Supporting Pro-Palestinian Activist | US News
Jewish demonstrators have surged into Trump Tower in New York City, calling for the release of a pro-Palestinian activist apprehended by immigration authorities.
Approximately 150 individuals filled the lobby of the building in Midtown Manhattan to protest against the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, who spearheaded Columbia University protests in 2024 regarding Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The group from Jewish Voice for Peace displayed banners, donned red shirts emblazoned with “Jews say stop arming Israel,” and chanted “Bring Mahmoud home now!”
According to local police, 98 people were arrested on charges including trespassing, obstruction, and resisting arrest.
Charges included trespassing, obstruction, and resisting arrest. Pic: AP
Demonstrators from Jewish Voice for Peace protested inside Trump Tower. Pic: AP
Donald Trump has previously labeled Mr. Khalil, who is 30 years old and a lawful permanent resident of the US, as “anti-American.” Khalil is married to an American citizen.
The postgraduate student from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs has become a leading voice in the pro-Palestinian protest movement at the university.
Local police reported that they detained 98 individuals. Pic: Reuters
Recently, his deportation has been temporarily halted as his legal representatives contest his detention at an immigration facility in Louisiana. On Saturday, he was taken into custody outside his university residence in Upper Manhattan.
He has not yet faced criminal charges.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that he had substantial grounds to believe Mr. Khalil’s actions or presence in the nation could result in “serious adverse foreign policy consequences”.
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Student activist Mahmoud Khalil arrested in Trump crackdown
This Thursday, Mr. Khalil’s legal team petitioned a federal judge for his release from immigration custody.
They contended that the Trump administration targeted him for deportation due to his activism, arguing that his detention infringes upon the First Amendment rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Additionally, his legal representatives have urged the court to prevent Columbia University from disclosing student disciplinary records related to campus protests to a Republican-led committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mr. Khalil’s situation has become a central issue in Trump’s commitment to deport certain activists who participated in the protests at U.S. colleges against Israel’s military responses in Gaza following the attack by the militant group Hamas in October 2023.
Mahmoud Khalil outside Columbia University in April 2024. File pic: AP
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Mr. Trump’s administration has claimed that pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses, including Columbia, have shown support for Hamas and exhibited antisemitic harassment towards Jewish students.
Last week, the administration announced the cancellation of grants and contracts totaling around $400 million (£309 million) to Columbia, citing what it describes as antisemitic harassment on and around the campus.
Student organizers of the protests have argued that criticism of Israel and its policies is being unjustly conflated with antisemitism.
