PNN – White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt defended the Donald Trump administration’s decision to detain and attempt to deport “Mahmoud Khalil,” a pro-Palestinian student activist at Columbia University, saying that the decision to revoke the student activist’s visa rests with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, White House spokeswoman Carolyn Lieut said on Tuesday local time: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the right to revoke Mahmoud Khalil’s visa.
A Trump administration spokeswoman added: Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State has the right to revoke the green cards or visas of individuals who do not serve or are contrary to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States.
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White House emphasizes suppression of Palestinian supporters in the US.
The White House spokeswoman added: Mahmoud Khalil was a person who had the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of the best universities in the United States, and he abused this opportunity and privilege and became an accomplice to “terrorists, Hamas terrorists” who killed innocent men, women, and children.
Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead a student protest movement at Columbia University to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, was arrested Saturday night by federal immigration officials who said they were taking action to revoke his green card, as ordered by the State Department.
A White House spokeswoman criticized Mahmoud Khalil during the briefing, claiming that he had “distributed pro-Hamas propaganda leaflets” at student protests at Columbia University, where he completed his master’s degree in December.
She also pointed to more arrests for people participating in anti-war protests, telling reporters: We are going to have more arrests, as the president has said.