Detentions Ease, but Trump’s Crackdown on Student Protesters Expands Into Broader Immigration Fight
Masked immigration officers detaining a graduate student on a quiet suburban street. Agents storming campus housing while a terrified spouse begs for answers. These are the defining images of President Trump’s second term—and of an immigration crackdown increasingly targeting outspoken international students.
On Friday, Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian rights advocate and Columbia University graduate student, was released on bail after more than three months in federal detention. His release marks the end of the initial wave of arrests aimed at foreign students who protested U.S. policy in Gaza.
Trump’s administration had attempted to hold these students in detention as their deportation cases proceeded. But courts have blocked many of those efforts. Judges have consistently ruled that peaceful political speech—even by noncitizens—is protected under the First Amendment.
“The federal courts have unequivocally protected the First Amendment rights of the noncitizen protesters in these cases, literally across the country,” said Elora Mukherjee, director of Columbia Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic.
Though the detentions have largely failed in court, their impact is still being felt. For many international students, the message is chilling: protest, and you may lose your visa—or your future.
“Of course, they should have a right to speak out,” Mukherjee added, “but the personal cost can be devastating.”
Khalil’s own story is now a symbol of that cost. Arrested in March, he was sent to a detention center in Louisiana, missing both his graduation and the birth of his child. His case, along with others, has drawn international attention and condemnation.
“There has been worldwide outrage,” said Khalil’s lawyer, Marc Van Der Hout. “The administration tried to make an example out of these students and failed.”
But while some high-profile students have been released, their immigration cases remain active. Trump officials are still pursuing their deportations, with hearings that could drag on for months.
The Department of Homeland Security, in a strongly worded statement, blasted the judge’s decision to release Khalil, calling it “a betrayal of the 2024 election outcome” and vowed to appeal.
“This is yet another example of how out-of-control members of the judicial branch are undermining national security,” the department said.
Beyond student protesters, the Trump administration has escalated its broader immigration agenda. In recent months, it has revoked hundreds of student visas—often without clear justification—and proposed new rules requiring social media vetting for visa applicants deemed “hostile.”
The State Department has even tried to strip Harvard University of its authority to host international students—a move that was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Immigration expert Greg Chen warned the crackdown is expanding well beyond elite college campuses.
“They’ve stepped into a cesspool by targeting students who contribute to this country,” Chen said. “The public is beginning to see through the claim that this is about national security.”
In reality, the administration’s efforts have morphed into a sweeping campaign. Since January, more than 100,000 people have been arrested in raids at construction sites, courtrooms, and workplaces nationwide—many swiftly deported.
Unlike Khalil, most of those detainees do not have the backing of universities or public advocates. They are undocumented immigrants—many long-time residents—who now face deportation in silence.
Khalil, upon his release, spoke for them.
“The hundreds of men I left behind shouldn’t be in cages,” he said. “This administration is doing its best to dehumanize everyone here.”
He hopes that one day, the detention center in Jena, Louisiana, where he was held, will be transformed into a museum.
Related Coverage:
- Mahmoud Khalil’s March Arrest
- Trump’s Crackdown on Harvard’s International Students
- Chinese Student Visa Restrictions
- Columbia No Longer Under Federal Scrutiny
- A National Immigration Crackdown
Tags: U.S. Politics, Homeland Security, Immigration, Student Visas, Donald Trump, First Amendment, Deportation, Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil
