Palestinian Student Mahmoud Khalil Sought Protection—Columbia Chose to Support Trump

In a report authored by journalist Prem Thakker, one of Khalil’s emails was highlighted, in which he wrote: “I have been unable to sleep out of fear of ICE or a dangerous individual coming to my home. I urge you to intervene and provide the necessary protection to prevent harm.”

The report noted that Khalil, who played a role in mediating between Columbia University and student protesters, sought protection from harassment and the possibility of being detained by immigration authorities.

The emails, which were obtained by journalists, show that Khalil, a U.S. green card holder, wrote to Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, on March 7. He stated that since the previous day, he had been subjected to a coordinated and inhumane doxxing campaign led by Columbia affiliates Shai Davidai and David Lederer. Khalil said they had labeled him a security threat and called for his deportation.

He added that their attacks had incited a wave of hatred, including calls for his deportation and death threats. Despite this, Columbia University did not provide the necessary support or resources to address the escalating threats.

Columbia Ignored Warnings—Now Khalil Faces Deportation

Khalil explained in his email that these threats left him unable to sleep, fearing an ICE raid or an attack, and he urged the university to provide him with the necessary support to ensure his safety.

This email is particularly significant in light of multiple reports over the past week regarding ICE agents and Columbia University’s advisories about a “potential campus visit” by immigration authorities. In a memo to faculty and staff, the university advised them not to interfere in “urgent circumstances” where ICE agents attempt to access campus facilities or individuals without a court order.

Columbia University, along with Davidai and Lederer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On social media, Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia Business School who had previously been suspended for alleged harassment of university staff, denied collaborating with the Trump administration to deport Khalil. However, in online posts, he described Khalil as a “terrorism supporter” and suggested he should be deported, even tagging Senator Marco Rubio in his post.

Khalil’s March 7 email followed a previous one sent on January 31, in which he urged the university to take immediate action to protect international students facing intense doxxing, discriminatory harassment, and possible deportation in retaliation for exercising their rights to free speech and assembly.

Khalil cited a threatening post by the pro-Israel group “Betar” from January, which falsely claimed he had said, “Zionists do not deserve to live”—a statement he unequivocally denied in his email to university officials.

The same group also claimed that ICE was aware of Khalil’s home address and location and had shared his information with multiple contacts, stating that he was “on a deportation list.”

In his email to Armstrong, Khalil referenced the Betar post, writing: “With the stakes this high, I ask you, as representatives of Columbia University’s administration: How will you protect international students from defamation and deportation? How will you safeguard their rights to free speech and assembly, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and Columbia’s Code of Conduct? Students’ futures, livelihoods, and now—without exaggeration—their lives are at risk.”

Khalil was targeted for deportation before his arrest by pro-Israel advocates. On March 6, he emailed Gerald Lewis, Columbia’s Vice President for Public Safety, forwarding Armstrong’s message regarding the deactivation of his university ID.

He wrote that during a campus protest, public safety officers approached him and informed him that his ID was no longer valid because he was not enrolled in classes that semester. Khalil explained: “I am a recent graduate, having completed my studies in December 2024, with my degree set to be conferred in May. Now, I believe you have confirmed that I entered campus as any other Columbia affiliate would—by swiping my ID and presenting it to security.”

He questioned why he was singled out when other students in similar situations had not been approached, noting that the staff who confronted him were fully aware of his Palestinian identity, as they had previously worked together to ensure safe campus protests.

Khalil Demands Answers—Columbia Stays Silent

Khalil asked why he was targeted, how he was identified, and who had ordered staff to approach him and remove him from campus. “When I requested clarification on how I was identified and why I was the only person approached, they refused to provide any explanation,” he wrote.

He added that the lack of justification raised concerns about targeted discrimination, particularly given his history of cooperation with university offices to ensure student safety and smooth university operations. “I was truly shocked to be treated this way. If I am unwelcome at Columbia University, please inform me through the appropriate channels,” he wrote.

Khalil’s whereabouts were unknown for 24 hours following his detention. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee tracking system, he is currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Louisiana. Rights organizations had previously published a report describing systemic human rights abuses against detainees at these Louisiana facilities.

The Trump administration quickly justified Khalil’s detention but did not clarify whether any formal charges had been filed against him. Initially, the Department of Homeland Security referred inquiries to the White House, which did not respond. Later, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that ICE had detained Khalil “in support of President Trump’s executive orders banning antisemitism.” Without providing evidence, she claimed that Khalil “led activities aligned with Hamas.”

A State Department spokesperson said they could not comment on individual visa cases but noted that the department has broad authority to revoke visas based on U.S. immigration law. They added that the department exercises this authority when receiving information that indicates a visa holder is ineligible to enter or remain in the United States.

Columbia’s Silence and Khalil’s Arrest—A Turning Point?

Senator Marco Rubio later issued a statement appearing to clarify the confusion over how the State Department could target Khalil’s green card status, particularly given that ICE agents were initially unaware he held one. “We will revoke visas and/or green cards for Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported,” Rubio wrote.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump celebrated Khalil’s arrest, calling him—without evidence—a “radical foreign student who supports Hamas.” He added, “This is the first of many arrests to come.”

A report published by Middle East Eye suggested signs of “collaboration” between Columbia University and the Trump administration, leaving students fearful that the university was abandoning its status as a sanctuary campus. The article noted that Khalil’s arrest had shifted the perception of Columbia from being merely complicit to actively cooperating with Trump’s policies.

For months, universities, including Columbia, have faced accusations of harboring “antisemitic” and “Hamas-supporting” individuals—a label frequently used against pro-Palestinian activists calling for an end to what they describe as “genocide” in Gaza. Despite cracking down on these protests, universities have continued suspending students and faculty who refused to cease their demonstrations while also allowing law enforcement onto campuses to make arrests.

Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident, was detained on Saturday, facing the threat of deportation just days after NYPD forcibly removed students from a sit-in at Barnard College, a part of Columbia University. The students were protesting the expulsion of three peers over demonstrations in 2024.

Khalil graduated with a master’s degree from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs in December 2024. He was one of the primary student negotiators during the “Students for Palestine” encampment in the spring of 2024.

His arrest sparked immediate backlash. Organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace and the Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee issued strong statements condemning the move, while students launched a petition demanding Khalil’s release.

A Columbia professor, speaking anonymously, told Middle East Eye: “As a faculty member and green card holder, I am horrified by this administration’s intimidation of educators and students and the unconstitutional threat of arrest and deportation. This is not just a threat to individuals—it’s a threat to the future of the university.”

Eden Parisi, a social work student suspended in June 2024 for participating in pro-Palestine protests, compared Columbia’s actions to Trump’s policies: “They keep escalating, bringing in outside forces like NYPD and DHS to protect their interests and profits in this genocide,” he said. “Columbia has moved from being complicit to being an active collaborator with this repressive state.”