‘Safer without him’: Columbia student claims classmate arrested by ICE ‘hates America’

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, was recently arrested by ICE, sparking controversy and fear among his former classmates. One of Khalil’s former classmates, a Jewish graduate student, spoke out after his arrest, claiming that she feels “safer with him gone” and alleging that he “hates America and everything it stands for.” She described Khalil as an “insidious” presence on campus and revealed that she dropped a class because she didn’t want to become a target of his.

Khalil, who was a prominent leader in last year’s Israel-Gaza war protests, has been accused by the Trump administration of being a terrorist sympathizer and a threat to national security. His arrest has led to calls for the deportation of Hamas supporters in America, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing plans to revoke visas and green cards of individuals like Khalil.

The former classmate described Khalil as soft-spoken and intentional with his words, which added to the sense of threat felt by Jewish students on campus. Despite his seemingly normal appearance, his rhetoric left many students feeling unsafe. The classmate filed complaints with the university administration, but no action was taken against Khalil.

Since Khalil’s arrest, the former classmate expressed feeling safer on campus and believes that the country is better off without him. President Trump has indicated that more arrests of individuals like Khalil will follow, as part of a crackdown on pro-terrorist and anti-Semitic activities on college campuses.

In a separate incident, ICE also arrested Leqaa Kordia, another student activist from the West Bank who was involved in the Israel-Gaza protests. Kordia was found to be unlawfully present in the country despite her student visa being canceled in 2022.

Columbia University has come under scrutiny for potentially hiding students who are in the country illegally, and the Justice Department is investigating the matter. The university declined to comment on individual students but emphasized that it will stand by its values. Interim President Katrina Armstrong issued a statement affirming the university’s commitment to its principles.

The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil has sparked a debate about free speech, national security, and the presence of terrorist sympathizers on college campuses. As the situation unfolds, students and faculty at Columbia University are grappling with the implications of these arrests and the broader implications for academic freedom and safety.