Controversial Arrest of Columbia Activist Mahmoud Khalil

Summary of Key Points

• Government lawyers revealed that ICE officers did not have a warrant for Mahmoud Khalil's arrest.
• Khalil's lawyers dispute claims made by ICE regarding his cooperation during the arrest.
• DHS asserted the warrantless arrest was justified due to an alleged flight risk.
• An immigration judge ruled Khalil could be deported for threatening foreign policy.

Details of the Case

Government lawyers have declared that officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil without a warrant last month. This information comes from a recent filing concerning Khalil's case.

Khalil's legal team argues that this statement contradicts the information provided by the officers at the time of his arrest and in a subsequent arrest report.

It was noted in the filing that Khalil, who holds a green card and is a permanent resident, was presented with a warrant after arriving at an ICE office in New York post-arrest.

Government's Justification for Arrest Without Warrant

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contends that ICE officers were not obligated to secure a warrant for Khalil’s arrest, citing concerns that he might flee before they could obtain one.

Discrepancies Over the Arrest

Khalil's legal representatives have disputed the claim that he was uncooperative. In a sworn statement, attorney Amy Greer, who was on the phone with Khalil's wife during the arrest, mentioned that an agent claimed they had a warrant that was based on a revoked student visa.

Greer asserted, "When I told Agent Hernandez that Mahmoud does not have a student visa because he is a green card holder and permanent resident in the U.S., he said DHS revoked the green card, too." This discrepancy forms part of why Khalil's legal team believes he should be released.

Khalil's Continuous Compliance

Greer noted that Khalil remained calm and complied with the agents even when they failed to show a warrant, stating, "Today we now know why they never showed Mahmoud that warrant - they didn't have one."

She further described Khalil as a political prisoner, indicating that his arrest and detention might be part of broader political tactics by the Trump administration.

Recent Rulings

An immigration judge recently ruled that Khalil could potentially face deportation due to claims made by the Trump administration that he poses a threat to foreign policy.