Protesters in Washington DC demand release of Mahmoud Khalil

WASHINGTON

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Washington DC on Monday demanded the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

Protesters gathered in front of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters.

Waving Palestinian flags, they chanted "Mahmoud Khalil must be free, all the students must be free," and "Gaza, you are not alone."

The protesters also held signs that read: "Release Mahmoud Khalil", "Trump Hands Off Our Students", "Stop The Repression", and "End All US Aid To Israel."

Khalil, a Columbia University graduate in the US legally with a green card, was arrested by ICE agents March 8 after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the revocation of his student visa and green card.

The Trump administration accused Khalil, who played a leading role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the school last year, of engaging in “activities aligned with Hamas,” though no evidence has been provided.

There has been a slew of executive actions by President Donald Trump to deport foreign nationals deemed to have "hostile attitudes" toward the US, including a crackdown on what he called antisemitism, which resulted in the deportation of foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests.