New York: About 100 Jewish protesters were arrested after occupying Trump Tower in New York City, demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card-holding pro-Palestine activist whom President Donald Trump wants to be deported.
New York Police Chief John Chell reported that 98 protesters were arrested at Trump Tower on Thursday after refusing to vacate the premises. Several hundred other protesters left.
Protesters wore T-shirts with messages like "Not in Our Name" and "Jews Say Stop Arming Israel" and held banners reading "Free Mahmoud, Free Palestine," reflecting their Jewish identity and opposition to Israeli policies.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate, was arrested by federal immigration authorities on March 8, 2025, and now faces deportation.
Columbia University has expelled some students who participated in the occupation of one of its buildings during the protests led by Khalil. The university has faced pressure from the Trump administration to take action against pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas protests on campus.
The Trump administration has withdrawn $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, citing the institution's alleged failure to combat anti-Semitism.
The Trump Tower occupation came on the sixth day of protests against the arrest of Khalil, who led the protests at Columbia University last year and was involved in another last week at its associated institution, Barnard College.
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, is being detained in Louisiana. As a permanent resident, Khalil cannot be deported immediately; authorities must first revoke his green card. Complicating matters, Khalil is married to a US citizen, raising questions about his deportation case.
A federal court case was filed on Mahmoud Khalil's behalf, challenging his arrest and deportation. On Wednesday, a judge issued a temporary stay on Khalil's deportation but permitted the government to continue detaining him.
The Department of Homeland Security accused Khalil of leading “activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation” and said he was arrested “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism."
Mahmoud Khalil's lawyers and various human rights groups allege that the government is retaliating against him, violating his First Amendment right to free speech.
Reacting to the claims about Khalil facing retaliation for his speeches and protests, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “This is not about free speech. This is about people that don’t have a right to be in the United States, to begin with.”
“No one has a right to a green card,” he added.
Trump Tower, a 58-story Manhattan skyscraper, is one of the few New York City buildings still bearing Trump's name, despite many others removing it in protest of his policies. Trump sometimes visits the building, which houses his penthouse residence.
Protesters slipped into Trump Tower by hiding their slogan-bearing T-shirts and entering in small groups or alone, merging with shoppers in the building's public areas.
(inputs from IANS)