A video released on Friday shows the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and former leader of the Columbia University protests. The footage, recorded by his wife, Noor Abdalla, on 8 March, shows plain-clothed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining Khalil in their apartment building lobby.
In the video, Abdalla repeatedly questions the agents. She asks why her husband is being arrested, which agency they belong to, and if they can provide their names. The agents do not respond clearly. At one point, an agent refuses to give his name, saying, "We don’t give our name."

According to Khalil’s lawyers, ICE agents initially claimed his student visa was revoked. However, Khalil is a legal US resident with a green card. During the arrest, Abdalla is heard asking someone off-camera if agents could revoke his green card.
Khalil is currently detained in Louisiana, over 1,000 miles from his home. His wife, who is eight months pregnant, called the arrest "terrifying." She said that for 38 hours, neither she nor their lawyers knew his whereabouts.
The White House has accused Khalil of supporting Hamas, claiming he spread "pro-Hamas propaganda." His legal team has denied these allegations, saying no evidence has been presented in court. Attorney Ramzi Kassem dismissed the White House’s claims, calling them unsubstantiated.
Khalil is set to appear before an immigration judge on March 27.