Free Speech Assault: Trump Administration Targets Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil

President Trump announced a crackdown on campus protests against Israel, marking Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil as the first target. Khalil, a lawful U.S. resident and Columbia University graduate student, was detained, causing an outcry from civil rights advocates who view this as an attack on free speech.

In a controversial move, President Donald Trump has initiated a stringent policy against anti-Israel protests on college campuses, with Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil becoming the first to face deportation. Detained by federal immigration agents, Khalil's arrest has sparked widespread outrage from civil rights groups and free speech advocates.

Mahmoud Khalil, who was a graduate student at Columbia University and is married to an American citizen, was flown to an immigration facility in Louisiana. Trump cited Khalil's role in protests that allegedly support Hamas, designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, to justify his deportation claim.

The case has drawn significant attention, with Columbia University professors and student bodies denouncing the action as an attempt to suppress dissent. Khalil and his supporters argue their protests are part of a broader anti-war movement involving diverse groups, rejecting allegations of antisemitism.

(With inputs from agencies.)