Marco Rubio Stands By Arrest and Possible Deportation of Pro-Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil: 'This Is Not About Free Speech'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the detention and potential deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a high-profile leader of pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University, arguing that the issue is not a matter of First Amendment rights but rather of legal immigration status.

Khalil, a Palestinian-born Syrian national green card holder, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday and transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana, igniting debate over the intersection of immigration law and free speech.

"This is not about free speech," Rubio said when addressing the matter during a briefing in Ireland. "This is about people who do not have a right to be in the United States to begin with." He emphasized that holding a student visa or a green card is a privilege, not a right, and stated that individuals who engage in activities deemed adversarial to U.S. interests could be subject to deportation.

Rubio then elaborated on the notion:

"If you tell us that you are in favor of a group like this [Hamas ]and if you tell us, when you apply for your visa, and by the way, 'I intend to come to your country as a student and rile up all kinds of anti-Jewish student, antisemitic activities, I intend to shut down your universities. If you told us all these things when you applied for a visa, we would deny your visa. I hope we would. If you actually end up doing that, once you're in this country on such a visa, we will revoke it."

Federal authorities are reportedly investigating Khalil as a potential national security threat, linking him to Hamas, even though, as Vox points out, the government has not offered evidence to back the accusation.

State Department officials have stated that his activities could have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited the Immigration and Nationality Act in justifying the revocation of his green card, asserting that Khalil "took advantage" of his presence in the U.S. "by siding with terrorists," as Fox News reports.

Khalil has not been charged with a crime, and his legal team is contesting his detention on constitutional grounds. His attorneys argue that his First and Fifth Amendment rights have been violated and are seeking to have him returned to New York. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is attempting to transfer the case out of the Southern District of New York, arguing that the Manhattan federal court is "an improper venue." Khalil remains in detention as his case proceeds.