Trump Escalates Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Voices After Activist’s Arrest in Colombia

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump warned on Monday that the arrest and potential deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is just the "first of many to come" as his administration escalates efforts to silence voices condemning "Israel’s" ongoing war crimes in Gaza.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, the 78-year-old president labeled protesters as “paid agitators” and vowed to crack down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations, many of which have emerged in response to "Israel's" relentless massacres of civilians in Gaza. Trump declared that his administration would not tolerate what he described as “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American activity.”

“We will find, apprehend, and deport these 'terrorist' sympathizers from our country, never to return again. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply,” Trump wrote.

Khalil, a lawful US resident and former Columbia University graduate student, was arrested by federal immigration agents in New York on Saturday and transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked his deportation and scheduled a court hearing for Wednesday after his attorney challenged the arrest.

His detention has sparked widespread condemnation, with civil rights groups and free speech advocates denouncing the US government’s attempt to stifle opposition to "Israel’s" genocidal assault on Gaza.

Khalil, 30, played a central role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, where students established an encampment last year to protest the mass killings of civilians in Gaza. The protests followed Hamas’s October 7, 2023, Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against "Israel." Since then, "Israel" has waged an indiscriminate war, killing over 30,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Khalil’s advocacy for Palestinian rights made him a key mediator for Muslim and pro-Palestinian students, drawing hostility from pro-"Israel" groups that recently lobbied the Trump administration to deport him, CBS reported.

Columbia University launched a disciplinary investigation against Khalil, accusing him of violating a harassment policy by calling an official a "genocidal dean," The Associated Press reported. However, Khalil asserted that he was merely a spokesperson for the protesters, not a leader.

His lawyer, Amy Greer, confirmed that Khalil’s student visa had been revoked despite his status as a US green card holder. Born to Palestinian parents in Syria, Khalil moved to the US in 2022 to study at Columbia and later married a US citizen, who is now eight months pregnant. Greer also revealed that immigration authorities threatened to arrest Khalil’s wife.

In their legal complaint, Khalil’s defense team accused the US government of retaliating against him for his "constitutionally protected advocacy on behalf of Palestinian human rights."

Meanwhile, the US Education Department has threatened to cut federal funding to 60 universities, including Harvard and Cornell, if they fail to suppress student activism against "Israel" and ensure "uninterrupted access" to campus facilities. The Trump administration has already announced it will withdraw $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, The Associated Press reported.

The crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices comes as "Israel" continues its systematic destruction of Gaza, deliberately targeting hospitals, refugee camps, and civilian infrastructure. While students and activists demand an end to US military aid enabling "Israel’s" war crimes, the US government is doubling down on suppressing dissent, proving its unwavering complicity in the occupation’s atrocities.