A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on anti-Israel protesters. The court has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to review the case further.

Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident, was arrested Saturday and transferred to a federal detention center in Louisiana, according to his lawyers and a U.S. detainee database.

The Trump administration has not charged Khalil with a crime, but the president has publicly branded him as a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student” and stated on social media that his presence in the U.S. is contrary to national and foreign policy interests.

“This is the first arrest of many to come,” Trump wrote, signaling further actions against student protesters.

Khalil’s detention has sparked outrage among civil liberties organizations, legal advocates, and demonstrators.

• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and New York State Attorney General condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on free speech.
• Protests erupted in New York City, leading to clashes between police and demonstrators in lower Manhattan, where at least one person was detained, according to Reuters.

Khalil’s legal team has petitioned Judge Jesse Furman to order his return to New York, arguing that his transfer to Louisiana limits his access to legal counsel.

As part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism, the U.S. Education Department has sent warnings to 60 U.S. universities, including Harvard, Columbia, Yale, and four University of California campuses, threatening to cut federal funding if they fail to address allegations of antisemitism on campus.

The move follows the Trump administration’s decision to revoke $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University, citing “antisemitic harassment” on and near its campus.

Meanwhile, Columbia students report that federal immigration agents have been seen near student housing since last Thursday, raising concerns about further detentions.

With Khalil’s legal status hanging in the balance, the case has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on campus activism and immigration enforcement.