Earlier today I wrote about the ICE arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia grad who was arrested by ICE over his involvement with CUAD. CUAD is the unofficial group behind pro-Hamas protests and vandalism at Columbia. In response to his arrest Saturday, another activist group announced an "emergency mobilization" this afternoon in NYC.

🚨NYC: EMERGENCY MOBILIZATION TOMORROW!

Join us in the streets to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and recent Columbia graduate, who was abducted from his home by DHS agents last night and is now in ICE detention.

We demand the immediate… pic.twitter.com/8rZqf9dVRm

— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) March 9, 2025

That protest started about an hour ago as I write this so we're just getting some video from the scene.

🇵🇸NOW: A huge crowd has gathered in NYC to protest the abduction of Mahmoud Khalil by DHS for his role in leading the movement against the genocide in Gaza! pic.twitter.com/Wxj9YxbKCJ

— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) March 10, 2025

The speakers aren't happy with Democrats either.

NOW: "This is the beginning of the epic battle" speaker addresses Hundreds of Pro-Palestine protesters "Whats happened to the democratic party?" hs spoke as they gather in Federal Plaza in NYC to protest against ICE arrest of Columbia University former student Mahmoud Khalil.… pic.twitter.com/SgDawt7Xt9

— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) March 10, 2025

Lots of police on hand to prevent this getting violent.

NOW: Heavy police presence as Pro-Palestine Protesters gathered in Federal Plaza in NYC to protest against arrest and green card revocation of Mahmoud Khalil from Columbia University.

Video by @peterhvideo @FreedomNTV [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/vU32oKGtbl

— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) March 10, 2025

I mentioned earlier that the organizers started a petition which already has over a million signatures. However, the petition itself warns people against using their real names so how many of those signers are real people?

🚨BREAKING: A huge crowd is gathering in NYC to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and recent Columbia graduate, who was abducted from his home by DHS agents on the evening of March 8th and is now in ICE detention.

📍Foley Square, Centre St &Worth St,… pic.twitter.com/dJjDuAfFPW

— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) March 10, 2025

Chanting:

NOW: New York City is out in huge numbers to demand the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and to say HANDS OFF OUR STUDENTS! pic.twitter.com/upeVIeXnjU

— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) March 10, 2025

Demands followed by more chanting.

🇵🇸⛓️‍💥 HAPPENING NOW IN NYC: WE WILL NOT STOP, WE WILL NOT REST! We are unafraid and will always uphold our commitment to defending the student struggle for the liberation of Palestine! There is nothing illegal about standing for justice against the brutal Israeli genocide and… pic.twitter.com/d25bXnSNy2

— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) March 10, 2025

Some marching and chanting.

WE ARE MARCHING! We stand up against the vicious attacks on free speech and the targeting of Palestine activists, immigrant students, and protesters. An attack against the student movement is an attack against all of us!

Now is the time to stand together to protect our… pic.twitter.com/H9YmUmNxzS

— The People's Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) March 10, 2025

Hard to get a read on the crowd size. It's clearly hundreds of people but maybe not much more than that. Some people do have jobs and are still working at 4pm on a Monday.

Massive protest outside the NYC ICE office now demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Columbia grad on a green card who was detained by ICE last weekend. pic.twitter.com/4gSjys9Ysh

— Sophie Hurwitz (@sophiehurwitz) March 10, 2025

So is this the creeping hand of fascism as the protesters claim? Well, no, not really. Eugene Volokh, who says he does not support the ICE arrest of Khalid, nevertheless points out that the law is not entirely clear on whether or not a green card can be revoked for open support for terrorism.

...the order itself refers to 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3), which provides (in subsections (B)(i)(VII) and B(iii)) that:

Any alien who … endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization … is inadmissible…

And 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(4)(B) makes clear that such aliens are "deportable."

Congress, then, has authorized both denying visas to people based on their speech endorsing a wide range of violence, and deporting based on such speech people who had already been admitted. Nor is this limited to illegal aliens; it is also applicable to lawfully admitted visitors, including those under student visas and, as best I can tell, those who are lawful (and longtime) permanent residents.

Green card holders have the same speech rights as people born here, however the lower courts are divide on the degree to which deportation is an exception under the law. So Volokh is not saying this is open and shut in the Trump administration's favor, but also it's not open and shut that the administration cannot do this. 

This afternoon a judge in New York put a hold on the deportation and called for a hearing Wednesday.

Judge Furman of the Southern District of New York has ordered that detained Columbia University protest organizer Mahmoud Khalil not be deported and that all parties meet in court on Wednesday in response to Khalil's habeas petition, filed yesterday: pic.twitter.com/x2HxUbMw1M

— Evan Hill (@evanhill) March 10, 2025

Khalil had been transported to Louisiana and now it appears he'll need to be transported back to New York.

A federal judge in New York has blocked any efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia university graduate and Palestinian activist who was arrested Saturday night until a hearing Wednesday, according to court documents.

He is expected to appear in court on Wednesday morning, according to the documents...

The Immigration and Nationality Act states “an alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.” The term “alien” refers to anyone who isn’t a citizen or national of the US.

That provision of the law was used as grounds to detain Khalil, according to the official, who didn’t rule out it could be used in future cases as well.

If the judge decides the allegations are sustained, the person in custody can still apply for relief, but the whole process can drag on for months, according to Camille Mackler, founder and executive director of Immigrant ARC, a coalition of legal service providers in New York.

So it's possible this could drag on for a while. We'll have to wait until at least Wednesday to see what happens next.