Far-Right Group Claiming To Be Behind Arrest of Palestinian US Resident Has 'Thousands of Names' on 'Deportation List'

Betar U.S., a far-right pro-Israel group that took credit for Mahmoud Khalil's arrest, a Palestinian U.S. resident, claimed it has "thousands of names" on a "deportation list" in President Donald Trump's possession.

The group is supporting the Trump administration in deporting international students who support Palestinians, including any students in the United States on visas and those that have obtained their Green Cards, like Khalil, the former Columbia University grad student who led the school's "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" in April 2024.

"We told you we have been working on deportations and will continue to do so," Betar wrote in an X post shared last week.

"Expect naturalized citizens to start being picked up within the month. You heard it here first. Those who support jihad and intifada and originate in terrorist states will be sent back to those lands," the group added.

The group has compiled a so-called "deportation list" naming individuals it believes are in the U.S. on visas and have participated in pro-Palestinian protests, claiming these individuals "terrorize America".

A Betar spokesperson, Daniel Levy, said in a statement to the Guardian that Betar submitted "thousands of names" of students and faculty they believe to be on visas from institutions like Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, Syracuse University and others to representatives of the Trump administration.

The group claims to have "documentation, including tapes, social media and more" to support their actions. It claims to be sharing names with several high-ranking officials, including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio; the White House homeland security adviser, Stephen Miller; and the attorney general, Pam Bondi, among others.

Betar's spokesperson, Daniel Levy, told the Guardian, the group has a "deportation list" with "thousands of names" of students and faculty members at universities across the nation, including Syracuse University, UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania.

He added the group has "documentation, including tapes, social media and more" to reinforce the Trump administration's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian supporters. Levy also claimed several high-ranking officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller have the list of names.