Trump Says Arrest of Pro-Palestinian Leader at Columbia Was First of ‘Many to Come’

‘We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country—never to return again,’ the president says in a statement.

President Donald Trump speaks after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on March 6, 2025. Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Donald Trump announced on March 10 that many more arrests and deportations of those who are considered “terrorist sympathizers” are forthcoming, following the apprehension of a Palestinian student and permanent resident who led last year’s pro-Palestinian encampment protest at Columbia University after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by terrorist group Hamas.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump praised Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining Mahmoud Khalil, calling him a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student.”

The president said that Khalil’s arrest was the “first arrest of many to come” and warned that additional detentions would target individuals engaged in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity” on college campuses nationwide.

“Many are not students, they are paid agitators,” Trump wrote. “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.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Khalil’s arrest on March 9 via a statement on X. The agency cited executive orders signed by Trump prohibiting anti-Semitic activities on college campuses and alleged that Khalil had “led activities aligned with Hamas.”

Khalil, a graduate of Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, played a key role in negotiating with administrators to end the tent encampment protests at Columbia last spring, according to the Student Workers of Columbia (SWC). His attorney, Amy Greer, said that ICE agents arrested him at his campus residence.

“We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer said. “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.”

The Epoch Times reached out to ICE for comment.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored the administration’s stance in a post on X, stating that the government “will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.” He did not provide further details on the policy implementation.

Khalil’s arrest coincides with the Trump administration’s decision to revoke $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University over accusations of inaction on alleged anti-Semitism on campus and harassment of Jewish students.

Following the Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza, student-led protests erupted across U.S. college campuses, including Columbia. Last spring, pro-Palestinian activists staged a prolonged encampment and occupied a campus building.

This past week, Trump reiterated his stance against such demonstrations.

“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested.”

Katrina Armstrong, Columbia University’s interim president, addressed the federal funding cuts in a March 7 statement to alumni.

“Columbia is taking the government’s action very seriously,” Armstrong wrote. “I want to assure the entire Columbia community that we are committed to working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns. To that end, Columbia can, and will, continue to take serious action toward combatting antisemitism on our campus. This is our number one priority.”

Recently, some students at Barnard College, Columbia’s affiliate, occupied multiple buildings in response to the expulsion of two students accused of disrupting a history class on modern Israel.

Several students were arrested after a prolonged takeover of a building on March 4.