Protest to support Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil leads to arrests at New York City Hall
Students gathered in New York City's Washington Square Tuesday to protest the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents this past weekend.
The students who gathered for the demonstration said they want ICE off college campuses.
"Any sort of oppression anywhere is a threat to all of us," one student said.
Dozens staged a sit-in at Columbia University earlier in the day, before nearly 200 people descended on Washington Square Park. The group left the park and marched through Lower Manhattan. Some protesters were arrested at City Hall.
Police said 11 people were issued summonses for disorderly conduct and one person, a 25-year-old man from Queens, was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing government administration.
Protesters later gathered outside Gracie Mansion.
"Eric Adams working with the Trump administration, allowing ICE agents and DHS to do whatever they want here," one protester said.
"This is just a repeat of post-9/11 America," another protester said.
Mahmoud Khalil and Columbia protests
Khalil, a 30-year-old green card holder of Palestinian descent, is a recent Columbia graduate.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said his green card can be revoked for being adversarial to national security interests. She said he distributed terrorist propaganda.
"This is an individual who organized group protests that not only disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish-American students and made them feel unsafe on their own content, but also distributed pro-Hamas propaganda, flyers with the logo of Hamas," Leavitt said. "This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans."
The Department of Homeland Security has identified other individuals on campus who engaged in similar activity, Leavitt said, adding she doesn't know how many more arrests will come, but right now Columbia University is refusing to help DHS identify individuals she said engaged in pro-Hamas activity.
Columbia maintains it has and will continue to follow the law.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights says it sent letters to 60 universities warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill comply with their obligations to protect Jewish students on campus.
Khalil's attorney Ramzi Kassem said he is now in ICE custody in Louisiana, and denied Khalil is a threat to foreign policy.
"For no other reason, apparently, than the fact that the government doesn't like what he has to say, and the fact that he advocates on behalf of Palestinians and supports the human rights of Palestinian people," Kassem said.
Kassem said Khalil will not be attending Wednesday's court hearing in Manhattan, where a judge will weigh whether to release him from custody.
Khalil's attorney is expected to argue that detaining and deporting his client, who is in the country legally, is an affront on his First Amendment rights.
"This is where America needs to decide, what are the boundaries of our freedom of speech in our nation?" immigration attorney Naresh Gehi said.
Legal experts say even if a judge allows Khalil to be released from ICE custody, he may still be subject to deportation proceedings.
Mahmoud Khalil's green card at issue
Immigration attorney Michael Wildes said the government needs to prove Khalil lied on a green card application.
"The question is whether or not the student had given material support," Wildes said. "Not all speech is protected, and a person who creates what's called a 'fighting words doctrine' — words to incite others to cause harm."
Some students, who do not agree to Khalil being deported, said he was part of last week's sit-in at Barnard College's library, which ended when the NYPD was called in.
"They were putting up stickers saying death to America, handing out pamphlets from official Hamas media groups. You don't need to care about Jews to be angry about this," Columbia University freshman Orri Zussman said.
Khalil was also a student negotiator during last year's pro-Palestinian protests at the Ivy League school.
What do Khalil's supporters think about his actions on campus?
"This is someone who has been kind of profiled and selected for doxing and harassment," Professor Joseph Howley said.
An attorney representing several Jewish students at Columbia said the federal action was necessary.
"Free speech doesn't mean you can take over buildings. Free speech doesn't mean you can prevent students from accessing class. Free speech doesn't mean you can harass, intimidate or bully other students," Gerard Fiitti of the Lawfare Project said.
Student protesters disagreed, saying the arrest was retaliation for his activism against Israel.
"This detention on Mahmoud Khalil represents an attack on the Palestinian liberation movement and an attack on our fundamental rights to free speech in this country," NYU student Ebtesham Ahmed said.
Pro-Palestinian protesters say they are shaken by Khalil's arrest, but not deterred.
"There always is a certain fear, but as long as we keep speaking up and raising our voice, we're not gonna stop," one protester said.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul sound off
Mayor Eric Adams was asked if New York City was given a heads up by ICE prior to Khalil's arrest.
"We've been very clear. We cannot collaborate with solely deportation cases," Adams said.
CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer asked Adams if he felt Khalil's First Amendment rights were violated.
"Free speech is important, and we, actually this country, advocates for that. But when it comes down to the determination of the status of who stays in the country and who doesn't stay in the country, that's the federal government," Adams said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul was asked if Khalil should have his green card revoked if the White House's allegations that he supports the terror group Hamas are true.
"I just do not have all the facts. But here in New York, unlike the president, we actually respect rule of law. So I'm waiting to see what the judge says about this," Hochul said.
