(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Foreign nationals who often blur the lines between supporting Palestinians and backing Hamas—a designated terrorist group—are facing consequences. One controversial activist may soon have his green card revoked.
ICE agents arrested Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at his Columbia University apartment after he led anti-Israel protests at Columbia and Barnard College.
His attorney, Amy Greer, confirmed he faces the risk of having his green card canceled under President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance policy for individuals who break the law while protesting Israel.
Khalil, who has not been charged with any crime yet, completed his graduate studies at Columbia in December but remained in campus housing, thanks to the university’s policy allowing recent graduates to stay, according to the New York Post.
🚨SUSPECTED FOREIGN NATIONAL ALERT🚨
Mahmoud Khalil, allegedly from Syria, is a grad student at Columbia. Khalil appeared to be the lead negotiator for the Barnard College library occupation yesterday. He took the same role at the Columbia encampment & was suspended. pic.twitter.com/sMQ5aw7kZd— Canary Mission (@canarymission) March 6, 2025
He gained national attention after leading a takeover of Barnard’s Milstein Library, where protesters harassed students with bullhorns. Some distributed flyers reportedly authorized by Hamas’s media office—the same terrorist group behind the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.
One flyer, titled “Our Narrative… Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” sought to justify the 2023 massacre, which was the bloodiest day for Jewish individuals since the Holocaust.
Other rioters handed out trading cards featuring the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel in September. Hezbollah, like Hamas, is a foreign terrorist organization. It is unclear whether Khalil had prior knowledge of these flyers and cards.
Protestors in @BarnardCollege are handing out flyers authored by "Hamas Media Office". Still think they're pro-peace? Still think they don't support terror? @BarnardCollege and @Columbia: it's beyond time to take action. pic.twitter.com/P2xNLuJmsN
— Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students ✡️🇮🇱 (@CUJewsIsraelis) March 5, 2025
“These protesters were handing out materials from terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah,” said Ari Shrage, head of Columbia’s Jewish Alumni Association. “Every American citizen should be concerned when students are encouraging terrorist activities on US soil regardless of their nationality.”
This was one of several violent campus incidents. On Feb. 26, protesters assaulted a security guard while forcing their way into Barnard’s Milbank Hall, vandalizing walls with “free Palestine” and “Barnard expels students” phrases.
On March 5, roughly 200 individuals broke into Milstein Library and hung a “Wanted” poster featuring the face of Dean of Students Leslie Grinage. The NYPD evacuated the building over a bomb threat and arrested nine students from other schools, the Post reported. The bomb turned out to be a false alarm.
Despite this, Columbia denounced ICE’s raid and urged students to use resources if confronted by immigration agents.
“We want to again communicate to our campus community that we have a protocol in place, which includes phone numbers to call in case you are approached on or off campus. Consistent with this protocol, and consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas, including residential University buildings.”
March 9, 2025 Further Statement on ICE Reports: https://t.co/tTWK7tvQp6 pic.twitter.com/713nQ8IBtS
— Columbia University (@Columbia) March 9, 2025
