A group of Jewish students at Columbia University chained themselves to the gates of St. Paul’s Chapel on the university grounds on Wednesday to protest the detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.
The Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition posted on X: “We will not leave until our demand is met. Free Mahmoud Khalil. Free Palestine. @JVPColumbia.”
The students were demanding the university release the names of the trustees “who gave Mahmoud Khalil’s name to ICE,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Which one of them turned over student names to ICE? That was our only demand of them,” one of the chained students said. “We are staying here until we comply with their demand.”
"As Jewish students, we grew up learning about the rise of fascism, learning about how important it is to stand up when you see injustice in the world," another protester said.
Khalil was arrested in March at his New York residence and moved to a detention center in New Jersey before ultimately being transported to an ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana. He has been accused of participating in the violent anti-Israel protests at Columbia University last spring and distributing anti-Israel propaganda.
Khalil, 30, is married to a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant. While the Trump administration has not charged Khalil with a crime, he has been accused of distributing pro-Hamas literature at the Columbia campus.
Khalil’s arrest is seen as a statement by the White House that the U.S. will no longer tolerate public support of a terrorist organization. President Donald Trump has promised to deport any other such activists, posting: “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. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here.”
A spokesperson for Columbia University said the protesters were removed by campus police after about two hours of being chained to the chapel fence.