Freed Columbia Activist Khalil Seizes Platform Amid Deportation Fight

U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his administration's confrontation with elite American universities by targeting pro-Palestinian student activists. Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested at his Columbia University apartment in March and held for over three months in a Louisiana immigrant jail as the administration revoked billions in research grants to institutions like Columbia and Harvard amid widespread campus protests. Khalil, who is challenging the revocation of his lawful permanent residency and deportation, has publicly stated he does not regret opposing what he calls genocide and violence. Upon his release on bail, Khalil was greeted by supporters including U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and appeared at rallies alongside pro-Palestinian political figures such as Zohran Mamdani, a state lawmaker who recently won the Democratic primary for New York City's 2025 mayoral race. Khalil views the government's actions as an attempt to silence him, but says they have instead amplified his platform and activism. The situation highlights the broader political and social tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian movements on U.S. college campuses under President Trump's policy approach.