Federal immigration authorities have arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a notorious Palestinian “activist” and ringleader of Columbia University’s disruptive anti-Israel encampment movement. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, acting on a State Department order, swooped into Khalil’s university-owned apartment near Columbia’s Manhattan campus, taking him into custody for his role in stoking unrest on university campuses.

Khalil’s attorney, Amy Greer, whined to The Associated Press that ICE agents informed her they were executing a State Department directive to revoke Khalil’s student visa. When Greer pointed out that Khalil, who graduated in December, held a green card as a permanent resident, the agents delivered a crushing blow: that privilege was being stripped away too. And rightly so—Khalil’s relentless agitation against Israel’s justified war in Gaza has no place in a nation that cherishes freedom and security.

The arrest comes as President Donald Trump boldly vows to deport foreign students and jail agitators who dare to undermine Israel’s fight against terrorism. The administration has zeroed in on Columbia University, a hotbed of radical anti-Israel activity, slashing $400 million in grants and contracts on Friday due to the Ivy League school’s shameful failure to stamp out rampant antisemitism.

Greer complained that authorities refused to disclose to Khalil’s wife—eight months pregnant—why her husband was detained. But such details are irrelevant when national security and the defense of democratic principles are at stake. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

“We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer moaned to The AP. “This is a clear escalation.” Indeed, it is—an escalation of justice. The administration is making good on its promise to crack down on those who abuse their status to foment chaos, and ICE deserves applause for its efficiency and courage.

A Columbia spokesperson bleated that law enforcement must produce a warrant to enter university property but declined to confirm whether one was presented—perhaps a sign of the school’s reluctance to admit its complicity in harboring radicals like Khalil.

Khalil had arrogantly positioned himself as a leading figure in Columbia’s pro-Palestinian crusade, negotiating on behalf of students who erected tents on campus last spring to protest Israel’s efforts to defend itself against Hamas. In September, he brazenly told The Associated Press that the protests would persist “as long as Columbia continues to invest and to benefit from Israeli apartheid”—a baseless smear against a democratic nation fighting for survival. Now, thanks to ICE’s decisive action, this provocateur’s days of sowing discord appear to be numbered.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)