Demonstrators demand release of Columbia protest leader
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Protestors march to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil on March 11 in New York City. Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
The arrest of Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil by federal agents last week has sparked demonstrations in several U.S. cities.
The big picture: Free-speech advocates are questioning the Trump administration's authority to arrest Khalil, a lawful permanent U.S. resident with a green card, while the White House argues it's not a First Amendment issue.
- The White House has said Khalil's actions in helping to lead campus protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians last year conflict with of President Trump's executive order banning antisemitism.
Zoom in: Hundreds of people protested in New York City on Tuesday against Khalil's arrest. The NYPD arrested roughly a dozen demonstrators, per N.Y. media.
- Rallies in support of Khalil also took place at campuses of the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley.
Context: Khalil was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday, and was told at the time of his arrest that his student visa had been revoked.
- His detention is being challenged in court because he is a legal permanent resident and not in the U.S. on a student visa.
- Khalil is being held at an ICE facility in Louisiana.
Zoom out: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and more than a dozen other lawmakers signed a letter Tuesday demanding the Trump administration release Khalil.
- "Their illegal actions set a dangerous precedent," Tlaib wrote on X. "We cannot allow them to shred our constitutional rights to free speech and due process. Free Mahmoud Khalil."
What we're watching: U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman on Monday blocked any attempt by the Trump administration to deport Khalil until the court says otherwise.
More from Axios:
