University of Chicago students protest ICE detention, possible deportation of Columbia grad, activist Mahmoud Khalil

CHICAGO (WLS) — There was a pro-Palestinian gathering at Chicago’s Federal Plaza Tuesday.

Activists are rallying in support of a Columbia University graduate, and legal permanent resident, who’s being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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A deportation hearing is set for Wednesday for Mahmoud Khalil.

The pro-Palestinian activist was taken into custody last weekend, after a protest at Columbia University.

Dozens of University of Chicago students gathered to protest President Donald Trump’s administration’s detention and possible deportation of the Columbia University pro-Palestinian protest organizer, as the American Civil Liberties Union defends the activist.

Taking a break from the first day of finals, University of Chicago Students and Staff for Justice in Palestine marched and rallied together in support of Khalil.

“The idea that protesting genocide should get you your long-term permanent residency stripped, your green card stripped, is absurd,” Anwar Omeish said.

Khalil is a permanent legal resident of the United States, who recently graduated from Columbia in New York City. He helped lead campus protests against the high number of civilian casualties in Gaza in the Israel-Hamas war.

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“He always engaged in peaceful protests. In fact, he always tried to broker peaceful ends between protesters and the administration,” said Ed Yohnka, with the ACLU of Illinois.

The ACLU is joining other legal organizations to defend Khalil.

Yohnka says the Trump administration is using an antiquated 1952 anti-communist law to detain Khalil. It allows for deportation if someone’s views support terrorist activities. Hamas is defined as a terrorist organization.

“There is no evidence that this student ever protested in favor of Hamas. What they protested was the actions of the Israeli government and the way it impacted the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Yohnka said.

The Trump administration says it plans more arrests against college protesters.

“Resistance is going to continue across campuses, universities, no matter how hard they try to crack down,” Omeish said.

Students say they refuse to allow the Trump administration to silence them. Jewish students support the right to free speech, but not when it interrupts academics.

“When you start to infringe on the rights of other students to pursue their education fruitfully, then that becomes an issue,” said Joachim Sciamma, with U of Chicago Maroons for Israel.

While the Trump administration says it will continue to make arrests against campus protesters, University of Chicago students are calling on the university and the Cook County state’s attorney to drop disciplinary action and charges against two U of C students.