Nearly 100 people were arrested Thursday after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan to condemn the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist taken into ICE custody for his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.
The protest, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, began around noon as demonstrators wearing red shirts with slogans such as “Not in Our Name” and “Jews Say Stop Arming Israel” filled the Tower’s golden atrium.
Chanting “Free Mahmoud Khalil,” they unfurled banners reading “Never Again for Anyone,” “Jews Say Do Not Comply,” and “Come For One, Face Us All.”
According to the New York Police Department, 98 people were arrested, with 50 demonstrators removed from the lobby in zip ties and placed into police vehicles. No injuries or property damage were reported.
An organizer livestreamed the protest from a balcony overlooking the atrium.
“As Jews, we are here today, just hours before Purim—a holiday honoring Esther, who spoke out to prevent genocide,” the woman said in the video. “Today, we channel her courage to speak out.”
As NYPD officers moved in to make arrests, demonstrators sat in unison, chanting “Free Palestine” and “The whole world is watching.”
The protest followed Khalil’s recent detention by federal agents at his New York home after the Trump administration revoked his green card. On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “If you support terrorism… your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here.”
The demonstration also coincides with Columbia University’s announcement that it has expelled, suspended, or temporarily revoked the degrees of students involved in last April’s takeover of Hamilton Hall.
The Columbia University Apartheid Divest coalition had called on the university to cut financial ties with Israel and push for a ceasefire in Gaza. When the university failed to meet its deadline for negotiations, students and outside activists occupied Hamilton Hall, leading to over 110 arrests after the university requested police intervention.
It remains unclear how many students faced disciplinary action. A university spokesperson told CNN they could not disclose details due to privacy policies.
Khalil’s case—seemingly unprecedented—signals a broader crackdown as the Trump administration intensifies its scrutiny of foreign students and pro-Palestinian campus activism.
“The administration has made no secret of its opposition to these protests and has repeatedly threatened to use immigration law as a tool against noncitizens who participate,” Khalil’s lawyers wrote in a habeas corpus petition filed Thursday night, naming President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as respondents.
Additionally, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Khalil and seven other students against Columbia University and Barnard College, alleging that the schools unlawfully agreed to share thousands of private student records with the House Education and Workforce Committee under the threat of losing federal funding.
A February 13 letter from the committee demanded disciplinary records related to 11 incidents, according to the lawsuit. Columbia later stated in a February 27 email that it would comply.
CAIR argued that disclosing these records could lead to harassment, doxxing, and safety risks for the students involved.
Khalil’s attorney claims that the government is “retaliating” against him for defending Palestinian rights and that he was detained simply for exercising free speech.
Currently held at an ICE facility in Louisiana, Khalil remains in custody after a judge ruled Wednesday that he must stay detained while his case proceeds. His lawyers are now seeking bail. His wife, Noor Abdalla, a U.S. citizen, is eight months pregnant.
Khalil, a Palestinian refugee who grew up in Syria, was a graduate student at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. He later became a key representative of student activist groups in negotiations with the university.
Speaking to CNN last spring, he explained his motivation for activism:
“We are the lucky ones who made it here and can speak for our people—those suffering under oppression in Palestine and across refugee camps and Palestinian cities.”
CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem compared the Trump Tower protest to recent demonstrations at Tesla dealerships, noting the challenges the Trump administration faces in securing both government and private interests.
“They are dealing with the consequences of merging monetization, policy, and the First Amendment,” Kayyem told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Thursday.
Sonya Meyerson-Knox, communications director for Jewish Voice for Peace, said the group of 300 demonstrators planned the protest inside Trump Tower just a day and a half in advance.
She told CNN they felt compelled to protest Khalil’s arrest, stating, “We know our history, and we are here to say ‘never again.’”
“I am here in adherence to what my ancestors taught me,” Meyerson-Knox added. “I have learned what happens when authoritarian regimes start scapegoating people. And I know that if we don’t speak up today, we may not be able to speak up tomorrow.”