Mahmoud Khalil case raises fears for foreign students and green card holders in the US

His arrest raises many questions about what protections foreign students and green card holders have, and what might be next for Khalil

Students and pro-Palestinian activists face police as they gather outside Columbia University to protest the university's stance on Israel last year. File photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The arrest of a Palestinian activist who helped organize campus protests of the war in Gaza has sparked questions about whether foreign students and green card holders are protected against being deported from the United States.

Mahmoud Khalil was arrested last Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Homeland Security officials and President Donald Trump have indicated that the arrest was directly tied to his role in the protests last spring at Columbia University in New York City.