Targeting of Activists

There has been a concerning wave of deportations targeting students, scholars, and professors engaged in pro-Palestine activism, prompted by their participation in protests and criticism of Israeli policies. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, was arrested by ICE agents in an operation tied to his activism despite holding a green card and having never been charged with a crime. His case illustrates how students can become collateral damage in a broader governmental strategy that aims to suppress dissenting political expression and disrupt movements advocating for Palestinian rights. The reliance on Cold War-era statutes for such actions reflects a troubling politicization of immigration enforcement as a tool against specific viewpoints deemed contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests.