The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted raids on two Columbia University dormitory rooms Thursday night, marking an escalation in federal enforcement actions following the controversial arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil [3].

Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong confirmed the raids in an email to the campus community, noting that while judicial warrants were presented, no arrests were made and no items were removed [3][6].

Earlier Thursday, police arrested 98 protesters who occupied Trump Tower's lobby in Manhattan demanding Khalil's release. The demonstrators, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, wore red shirts reading 'Jews say stop arming Israel' and displayed banners calling for Khalil's freedom [16][17].

Khalil, 30, a permanent U.S. resident and Columbia graduate student, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Saturday outside his university-owned apartment. His wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, witnessed the arrest [1][2].

According to court documents, Khalil's lawyers argue he was 'identified, targeted and detained' for his advocacy of Palestinian rights and protected speech. The legal team has added President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as defendants in an expanded lawsuit seeking his immediate release [10].

The Trump administration is attempting to deport Khalil under a rarely used provision of immigration law that allows removal of individuals deemed to pose 'potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences' [2]. President Trump has declared this is 'the first arrest of many to come' targeting what he describes as 'pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity' [1].

Khalil is currently being held at a detention facility in Louisiana while his case proceeds through federal court. His attorneys report he has been denied regular access to legal counsel and adequate facilities [1][15].