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College campuses have long been wellsprings for free speech and social movements. During the Civil Rights era, they were the site of sit-ins and student activism demanding equal rights for Black Americans. During the Iraq war, students marched across campuses nationwide to protest the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. 

Those actions had impact.

Years later, after the murder of George Floyd, most students weren’t on campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But some college administrators showed their approval of the protests sweeping the nation. They held virtual vigils and declared Juneteenth a holiday. 

Today, as students protest in support of Palestinian rights amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, things look different. Since the war began in October 2023, hundreds of students demanding a ceasefire have been arrested.

At the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, police detained or disbursed dozens of student protesters and alumni. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is pursuing criminal charges against some University of Michigan protesters for several alleged actions they took during the protests. The charges represent “a pattern of excessive response by law enforcement to the campus protests,” according to the ACLU of Michigan, which filed suit against the university in February for banning protesters from campus.

Now, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, who led pro-Palestine protests there, is facing deportation. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested without due process and detained by ICE for allegedly supporting Hamas. The Trump administration has not produced any evidence to support this claim. Khalil is a legal permanent resident and is married to an American who is eight months pregnant. 

This week, a federal judge blocked Khalil’s deportation but has not yet ruled whether he will be released from custody. 

President Donald Trump has said Khalil’s arrest represents the beginning of many more.

Shikha Dalmia joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss this. She is the president of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism and the editor-in-chief of The UnPopulist, a free Substack publication devoted to defending liberal democracies from the rising forces of populist nationalism.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation, beginning at the 06:50 mark.

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