The contentious arrest of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who played a key role in organising the pro-Palestine protests at the Ivy League campus last year, has sparked outrage and raised concerns about free speech protections in the United States.
Khalil, a 29-year-old Palestinian student, was arrested from his university residence in New York’s upper Manhattan over the weekend by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who said they would revoke his permanent residency – popularly known as a green card – at the behest of the Department of State. Though no federal charges have been pressed against Khalil.
