White House claims Columbia is blocking hunt for "pro-Hamas" protesters
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during the daily press briefing at the White House on March 11 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Columbia University has not helped the Department of Homeland Security identify individuals the government claims engaged in "pro-Hamas activity," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Tuesday press briefing.
Why it matters: Columbia, which has already had $400 million in federal grants and contracts canceled over allegations of allowing antisemitism on campus, has said in statements it will continue to support its students and staff despite pressure from the Trump administration.
- Leavitt said she isn't sure how many additional arrests will come following the arrest of Columbia alumnus Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent participants of the university's pro-Palestinian encampment last spring.
- "I do know that DHS is actively working on it," Leavitt said.
- President Trump promised more arrests in a post to Truth Social on Monday.
Driving the news: The Trump administration launched an investigation into several prominent colleges such as Harvard and Yale over accusations of failing to protect Jewish students and staff on campus.
- In a Monday statement, Columbia rejected allegations that its leadership requested Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents on or near its campus.
- "We are deeply committed to freedom of speech as a fundamental value that we must uphold as a community — citizens and non-citizens alike," Columbia's interim president Katrina Armstrong wrote on Monday.
- Columbia did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Catch up quick: Khalil, a U.S. resident with a green card, was arrested by federal immigration authorities on Saturday, heightening concerns over free speech during the Trump administration.
- The White House justified revoking Khalil's green card by saying his involvement in protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians amounted to support for Hamas and ran afoul of Trump's executive order banning antisemitism.
- Green card holders typically must break the law to be deported.
- Leavitt on Tuesday cited a federal law that allows the Secretary of State to deport a green card holder whose presence or activities in the U.S. "would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences."
Context: The arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters last spring sparked a debate about the limits of free speech on Columbia's campus.
- The Biden administration defended students' right to peaceful protest but condemned the "chaos" that broke out on campuses.
Go deeper: Columbia protest leader's arrest tests immigrants' free-speech rights
