US Homeland Security agents apprehended an additional pro-Palestinian demonstrator from Columbia University

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported the detention of a second student linked to pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University. This action forms part of a larger initiative aimed at curbing activities of student activists.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have taken Leqaa Korda into custody, a Palestinian national originating from the occupied West Bank. The detention occurred on allegations that Korda had exceeded the duration permitted by her visa.

Her detention comes in the wake of the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian green card holder, who was apprehended earlier last weekend.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that Korda was taken into custody in 2024 for her involvement in protests of a similar nature.

The Department of Homeland Security has released video footage showing Ranjani Srinivasan, a doctoral student from India studying at Columbia University, departing the United States on Tuesday.

The Department of Homeland Security has reported that the student visa of an individual named Srinivasan was revoked by the State Department last week following allegations of supporting Hamas.

In a recent statement, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem characterized pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University as “terrorist sympathizers,” alleging that their activities promote “violence and terrorism.”

On Thursday evening, federal agents executed search operations at two student housing facilities affiliated with Columbia University.

Columbia University President Katrina Armstrong has confirmed the presence of federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security at two university residences on a recent evening. This development comes amidst a resurgence of pro-Palestinian activism across US campuses, following an order by Trump for the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist at Columbia University. Khalil’s arrest has elevated his status as a significant emblem of the pro-Palestinian movement within American academic institutions.

The recent wave of arrests and deportations is part of the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to crack down on individuals identified as expressing views aligned with Hamas.

Trump lauded the detention of Khalil, declaring it as a precursor to a series of similar actions in the near future.

The Trump administration revealed that it has terminated grants and contracts valued at around $400 million that were designated for Columbia University.

Trump’s comments indicated a strong opposition to pro-Palestinian activism on American college campuses, marking an effort to criminalize student advocacy efforts in this area.

In the wake of Khalil’s arrest, Trump labeled him a “radical foreign pro-Hamas student,” reaffirming his administration’s strict zero-tolerance stance toward pro-Palestinian demonstrations within U.S. universities.

Trump has alleged on the Social Truth platform that there are additional students at Columbia University and other institutions nationwide who have participated in activities he described as pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American.

Trump’s recent remarks have attracted significant criticism from legal analysts and civil rights advocates. These experts have raised concerns about the legality of making public accusations against individuals without adhering to due process procedures.

Critics have raised concerns that the administration’s language, portraying pro-Palestinian advocacy as “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American,” may indicate a wider suppression that risks equating backing for Palestinian rights with extremism. Meanwhile, the wife of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has expressed that her husband is committed to championing the cause of his people.

In a conversation with Reuters on Tuesday, the spouse of Khalil expressed that her husband was advocating for the rights and well-being of his community.

Noor Abdalla, an American national and practicing dentist, stated that her husband’s primary concern was to support his community both through advocacy efforts and more hands-on initiatives.

“Mahmoud, a Palestinian, has long maintained a strong interest in the political landscape of Palestine,” she stated, noting, “He is advocating for the rights of his people and actively engaging in efforts to support them.”

On Thursday, Khalil, along with seven current university students, filed a request with a federal court seeking to prevent the release of student disciplinary records to a House committee that issued a demand for the documents last month.

According to the lawsuit, the committee’s demand, along with the school’s adherence to it, would infringe upon Khalil’s and the students’ First Amendment rights, as well as the university’s duty to safeguard student privacy.

Seven current students have requested the court’s permission to proceed anonymously, utilizing pseudonyms in the lawsuit to protect their identities.

In April 2024, student-led pro-Palestinian activism reached a pinnacle at universities across the United States, marked by significant demonstrations centered at Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall.

The protests commenced on April 17, as pro-Palestinian students initiated the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on the East Butler Lawn of the university, erecting around 50 tents.

Protesters have entrenched themselves within Hamilton Hall, displaying banners along with a Palestinian flag. The demonstrators are calling on the university to withdraw investments from companies associated with the Israeli government and to enhance financial transparency.

After discussions between student organizers and university officials proved unsuccessful, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik gave authorization for the New York Police Department to clear the protest encampment on April 18, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 individuals.