ICE arrests pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia

Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 9. He holds a green card and is accused of supporting terrorism, specifically Hamas. This arrest marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration's actions against student activists. It follows a recent freeze of $400 million in grants to Columbia over its handling of campus antisemitism. Reactions to Khalil's arrest have been polarized. Pro-Israel groups support the action, while progressive and pro-Palestinian organizations criticize it as an attack on free speech. Over 700,000 people signed a petition opposing the arrest shortly after it occurred.