WASHINGTON — The White House announced Tuesday that former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil is undergoing deportation proceedings after allegedly distributing pro-Hamas propaganda on campus, press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed.
Khalil was arrested Saturday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of a broader crackdown on alleged antisemitic activities involving foreign nationals at U.S. universities. However, officials have not specified why Khalil was chosen as the initial target of this effort.
During a White House press briefing, Leavitt emphasized that the U.S. government can revoke visas or green cards for individuals acting against American national security and foreign policy interests.
“The secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who serve or are adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States,” Leavitt stated.
She accused Khalil of using his time at Columbia University to support Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
“This is an individual who was given the privilege of studying at one of our nation’s finest institutions and instead used that opportunity to align himself with Hamas terrorists, who have murdered innocent men, women, and children,” she said.
Leavitt further alleged that Khalil played a role in organizing protests that disrupted campus activities and intimidated Jewish students. She also accused him of distributing flyers bearing Hamas-related imagery.
“I have those flyers on my desk, provided to me by the Department of Homeland Security,” she stated. “I considered bringing them here to show you, but I decided they do not deserve that dignity.”
She reiterated the administration’s firm stance against international students engaging in activities perceived as support for terrorist organizations.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for individuals studying in our country while siding with terrorist groups that have killed Americans,” she asserted.
The case marks a high-profile effort by the administration to address extremism on college campuses, raising debates about national security, free speech, and the rights of international students in the U.S.
