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(TJV) Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Federal Square, lower Manhattan, to protest the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and vocal anti-Israel activist, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protest, which drew a diverse coalition of progressive, communist, pro-Hamas, and anti-Israel groups, erupted in chants and speeches condemning what organizers called a politically motivated attack on student activism.
Khalil’s arrest is the first publicly known deportation effort under Trump’s promised crackdown on students who joined protests against the war in Gaza that swept college campuses last spring. The administration has claimed participants forfeited their right to remain in the country by supporting Hamas.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, confirmed Khalil’s arrest in a statement Sunday, describing it as being “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.”
As ICE agents arrived at Khalil’s Manhattan residence Saturday night, they also threatened to arrest Khalil’s wife, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, Greer said.
Carrying banners and placards, protesters demanded Khalil’s immediate release. Many held signs featuring his image, with bold messages such as “Free Mahmoud Khalil” and “End the political persecution.” Others carried inflammatory slogans, including one sign depicting President Donald Trump performing a Nazi-style “sieg heil” salute in front of a swastika. Another sign read, “Stop Jewish fascism,” while speakers took to the stage to make comparisons between Trump’s administration and the Nazi SS.
Throughout the rally, the crowd chanted, “We want justice, you say how? ICE off our campus now,” and “I believe that Palestine will win.” The protest was charged with both anger and defiance as activists decried Khalil’s arrest, accusing the government of weaponizing immigration enforcement to suppress political dissent.
“Trump thinks he can strip our rights to attack our movement,” one speaker told the crowd. “To that we say, ‘You are wrong. We will not be silenced. We will continue to organize, and we will continue to struggle until the complete liberation of Palestine.’” The audience erupted in applause and cheers, reaffirming their commitment to resistance against what they see as unjust policies targeting pro-Palestinian voices.
Another speaker complained of Hamas and other Palestinian groups being called terrorists, arguing that the true sources of violence were corporate and governmental power structures. “They make figures like Hamas and ‘terrorists’ into enemies,” the speaker said. “There are actual terrorists in the United States, but they are not Mahmoud Khalil. The terror comes from the capitalists and their pawns.”
The demonstration was notably larger and more ideologically diverse than recent anti-Israel protests, drawing activists from various progressive movements. Though many in attendance wore keffiyehs and waved Palestinian flags, the event also saw speakers linking Khalil’s detention to broader issues such as affordable housing, law enforcement practices, and constitutional rights. Some carried signs criticizing ICE’s broader immigration policies, tying Khalil’s case to what they described as systemic injustices within the American legal system.
The protest highlighted a growing convergence between pro-Palestinian activism and other left-wing causes, as organizers framed Khalil’s arrest as part of a wider crackdown on dissent. Demonstrators vowed to escalate their actions if he is not released, promising further protests and legal challenges against what they described as state repression.
