Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on the Trump administration's decision to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestine activist and green card holder, and anticipated more such actions will be taken. "He's going to leave — and so are others," Rubio said.
Speaking to CBS News, Rubio added that "we're going to keep doing it" and that the administration will revoke the visas and green cards of "Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported."
30-year-old Khalil, born in Syria to Palestinian parents, was a negotiator representing students who staged numerous protests throughout the year, setting up encampments and disrupting activities. He was arrested on March 8 by ICE agents and taken to a detention facility in Louisiana. Both his student visa and green card were revoked.
The detention has set up a showdown over first amendment rights. Asked if he could effectively link Khalil with terrorist activities or if he was espousing controversial views, Rubio said "these guys take over entire buildings, they vandalize colleges." Negotiating on their behalf is a "crime in and on itself," he added.
"And if you tell us, when you apply for a visa, 'I'm coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events,' that runs counter to the foreign policy interest of the United States of America," said Rubio. "If you had told us that you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa."
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.
Members of Jewish Voice for Palestine, which claims to be the "largest Jewish organization standing in solidarity with Palestine," stormed Trump Tower in New York City last Thursday to demand his release.
Holding signs like "come for one, face us all, fight Nazis, not students, and never again for anyone," members of the group wearing red shirts remained in the lobby of the iconic building.
In contrast, Betar U.S., a far-right pro-Israel group that took credit for Khalil's arrest, claimed it has "thousands of names" on a "deportation list." "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 said.
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