A Palestinian activist who was involved in protests at Columbia University has been arrested and could be deported. The activist, a former student at the university, was taken into custody by federal immigration officers on Saturday in New York. He was then moved to an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
His arrest has caused an uproar among civil rights groups and free speech advocates. Many are accusing the Trump administration of using immigration laws to silence people who speak out against Israel. His lawyers are now fighting in court to stop his deportation, and a judge has temporarily blocked the government from sending him out of the country until a hearing on Wednesday.
This marks the first time someone has been arrested for possible deportation under Trump’s new crackdown on student protests. Authorities also attempted to detain another international student at Columbia, but they were not allowed inside the student’s home.
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Trump’s Bold Statement on Protesters
President Donald Trump made it clear that this is just the beginning. In a statement posted online, he said the arrest of the activist would be “the first of many to come.” He claimed that many students at Columbia and other universities were involved in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.” Trump promised that his administration would find and deport these people, banning them from the U.S. forever.
His statement has alarmed many people, including professors at Columbia, who see it as an attempt to scare international students and immigrants into silence. A math professor at the university said that the goal of the arrest was to make people “quake in their boots” and warned that free speech was under attack.
The activist, who was born in Syria to Palestinian parents, came to the U.S. to study at Columbia in 2022. He has since married an American citizen, and his wife is now eight months pregnant. He was a well-known figure in campus protests last year, often serving as a spokesperson for pro-Palestinian activists. However, he denies being a leader of the movement and says he was just one of many voices.
Government Crackdown on Protests
The Trump administration is taking further action against universities that allow protests against Israel. The U.S. Education Department recently warned about 60 colleges, including Harvard and Cornell, that they could lose federal funding if they fail to stop antisemitic activities and ensure that all students feel safe on campus. Columbia University is already facing a loss of $400 million in federal money.
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Meanwhile, the activist’s legal team is arguing that his arrest is unfair and politically motivated. He has not been charged with any crime. Normally, lawful residents of the U.S. can only be deported if they have been convicted of a serious offense. His supporters believe the government is targeting him simply for speaking out about Palestinian rights.
Protesters gathered in New York City on Monday to demand his release. They marched near an immigration office, chanting that the government cannot take away their voices. Back on the Columbia campus, some students expressed concern that the government was crossing a dangerous line. “At what point does this process stop?” one student asked.
The Trump administration’s actions have sparked a heated debate about free speech, immigration enforcement, and the limits of student activism. As the legal battle continues, many are watching closely to see what happens next.
