U.S. Legal Actions Target Nearly 2,000 Pro-Palestinian Students Following Trump’s Anti-Semitism Order
Crackdown intensifies on foreign students, protests surge across U.S. campuses amid Gaza war.
Watan-The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced on Friday that U.S. authorities have taken legal action against nearly 2,000 university students and pro-Palestinian activists, following President Donald Trump’s executive order to combat “anti-Semitism.”
This comes as the Trump administration expressed its appreciation for measures taken by Yale University against its pro-Palestinian students who protested Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to campus.
The administration also acknowledged that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who led solidarity protests at Columbia University last year, despite there being no arrest warrant against him.
Robert McCaw, Director of Government Affairs at CAIR, indicated that under the anti-Semitism executive order signed by Trump on January 30, pro-Palestinian protests have been banned on university campuses.
Legal Actions
McCaw stated that after the phase of visa cancellations, many individuals were detained and faced legal proceedings.
He noted that the arrests began with Columbia University student and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested on March 8 for leading pro-Palestinian protests, although no formal charges were filed against him.
He added that the Trump administration is trying to suppress pro-Palestinian activism by linking it to “anti-Semitism” laws and discrediting activists.
McCaw pointed out that the real goal is to arrest as many people as possible and initiate legal actions to prevent any future pro-Palestinian activism.
He explained that although American citizens also participate in pro-Palestinian solidarity activities, foreign students are specifically targeted as the “weakest link” because they lack the rights afforded to citizens and therefore face harsher penalties.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration praised Yale University for its actions against pro-Palestinian students who protested Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the campus.
A statement from the “Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism,” a multi-agency body formed under Trump’s executive order, commended the university’s decisions against a group of students who protested the visit.
The statement supported Yale’s measures, which included breaking up the protest, revoking official recognition of the organizing group, and launching disciplinary investigations against participating students.
It stressed that the relevant agencies would continue monitoring developments and urged all American universities to “fulfill their legal obligations to combat discrimination and take necessary disciplinary actions against students when appropriate.”
University Advisories
Separately, American universities have begun advising their foreign students on how to navigate the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants, including warnings against leaving the country and guidance on completing their academic degrees.
Initially, immigration authorities arrested students participating in pro-Palestinian protests, but the campaign later expanded to target thousands of foreign students for detention and deportation over minor infractions.
According to over 20 students, immigration lawyers, and university officials, some university advisors have been quietly informing international students to hire attorneys and continue attending classes while their appeals are pending.
Faculty members at some universities have also turned to the courts to challenge the constitutionality of these arrests.
It is noteworthy that since March, U.S. authorities have canceled the visas and legal status of over a thousand students. Many students have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration over these cancellations, and temporary court orders have restored legal status for a few of them.
Pro-Palestinian protests opposing the ongoing war on Gaza, which began at Columbia University, have now spread to over 50 universities nationwide, with police detaining more than 3,100 individuals, most of them students and faculty members.
