Trump administration moves to deport US permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil, sparking outrage and mass arrests at Trump Tower

Trump Tower was in chaos on Thursday as nearly 100 protesters were arrested in a dramatic confrontation over the detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

Demonstrators from Jewish Voice for Peace flooded the lobby of Trump’s Manhattan skyscraper, demanding Khalil’s release after immigration authorities arrested him last weekend. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and permanent US resident, faces deportation for his role in pro-Palestine protests—an action critics call a politically motivated crackdown on dissent.

Dressed as tourists, protesters entered the building before stripping off jackets to reveal bright red T-shirts reading “Not in Our Name.” Chanting against Trump’s immigration policies, they refused to leave until police forcibly removed them.

Among those arrested was actress Deborah Winger, who slammed Khalil’s detention as an “abduction.”

“Does this sound like America to you?” she asked reporters.

Khalil’s lawyers argue the administration is conflating criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza with “support for terrorism,” while Trump officials claim he poses a national security threat. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt doubled down, stating Khalil’s arrest was “the first of many to come.”

Despite a judge blocking his immediate deportation, Khalil remains in detention in Louisiana, far from his pregnant wife in New York. His legal team is fighting to have him moved closer, warning that the administration’s actions signal a dangerous new precedent.

Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit has been filed to stop Columbia University from sharing student protest records with Congress, as fears grow over a wider crackdown on campus activism.

With tensions rising and mass protests spreading, Trump’s hardline approach is setting the stage for an explosive legal and political battle.