New York, MINA – New York police detained nearly 100 protesters during a sit-in at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Thursday. The demonstration, led by activists from Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), called for the immediate release of Columbia University graduate and activist Mahmoud Khalil, Palestine Chronicle reported.
“As Jews, we are taking over Trump Tower to register our mass refusal,” JVP stated on X. “We will not stand by as this fascist regime attempts to criminalize Palestinians and all those calling for an end to the Israeli government’s US-funded genocide of the Palestinian people. And we will never stop fighting for a free Palestine.”
Approximately 98 demonstrators, including Jewish elders, students, and descendants of Holocaust survivors, were arrested. Some were forcibly removed from the building by police.
Protesters wore red shirts with slogans such as “Not in Our Name” and “Jews Say Stop Arming Israel,” while banners read “Never Again for Anyone” and “Jews Say Do Not Comply.” Another banner displayed the message: “No Muslim Ban Ever.”
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Khalil, a green card holder and a recent Columbia University graduate, was arrested Saturday night by agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at his university-owned residence.
The agents claimed his green card had been revoked. Although he has not been formally charged, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated on Sunday that Khalil was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in coordination with the Department of State.
“In support of President (Donald) Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.” “Khalil led activities aligned to (the Palestinian group) Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” the statement alleged.
On Monday, a federal court judge in Manhattan blocked Khalil’s deportation, and on Wednesday, the court extended the ban. He remains in a Louisiana detention center, a move his lawyers strongly oppose.
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Outside the court on Wednesday, Khalil’s attorney, Ramzi Kassem, argued that his client’s arrest was retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights.
“He was taken by U.S. government agents for speaking up in defense of Palestinians in Gaza and beyond, for being critical of the U.S. government and of the Israeli government,” Kassem said.
He claimed Khalil’s transfer to Louisiana was a deliberate effort to isolate him from his legal team, family, and supporters.
According to The New York Times, Trump’s border czar, Thomas Homan, stated Wednesday that Khalil was considered “a national security threat” and accused him of distributing leaflets that “incited violence on campus.”
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Trump himself defended the arrest, saying, “We know 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.”
Khalil’s wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, condemned his detention as “shameful,” demanding his immediate release.
“His disappearance has devastated our lives. Every day without him is filled with uncertainty. Not just for me but for our entire family and community,” she said.
The Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition (CPSC) called Khalil’s detention “unlawful and unjust” and vowed to hold the university accountable. Meanwhile, an online petition has been launched demanding his release.[]
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