US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in New York, is “the first arrest of many to come.”
Taking to Truth Social, Trump said, “Following my previously signed Executive Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come.”
He said there are more students at Columbia and other universities across the country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it.
“Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply. Thank you!” added Trump.
US campuses, including Columbia University, experienced intense student protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. These demonstrations sparked allegations of anti-Semitism.
Some protests turned violent, leading to the occupation of campus buildings and disruptions of lectures, creating a divide between students opposing Israel’s conduct and pro-Israel advocates, many of whom were Jewish.
The move to arrest and detain Mahmoud comes after the Trump administration announced last week that it would revoke about $400m in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University.
The Trump administration alleges that the university has not done enough to stop antisemitism on campus.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/first-arrest-of-many-to-come-trump-confirms-detention-of-pro-palestinian-campus-protester-13870465.html.
