A federal judge has blocked, for now, the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a former student at Columbia University who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, ostensibly for his involvement and leadership during student-led demonstrations against Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestinians.
Khalil’s detention and planned deportation came days after President Donald Trump threatened universities and students across the country, ambiguously indicating that his administration would target those who engaged in so-called “illegal protests.” Trump also indicated, after Khalil was detained, that the policy would continue and expand in the future.