Homeland Security officials searched two dorm rooms at Columbia University a few days after the immigration agency moved to graduate with arrests and arrests of Palestinian parent activists and recent university graduates.
In a memo to students and staff late Thursday, officials presented federal search warrants to the university's private areas, Katrina Armstrong said in a memo to students and staff. She added that no one was detained, nothing was taken, and no warrant was designated targets.
“I am heartbroken tonight to inform you that two university housing units had federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” writes Dr. Armstrong. She added that Columbia has made every effort to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff.
The search comes after the Trump administration said it would have to make major changes to student discipline and admissions processes before it began talks about reviving $400 million in government grants and contracts that Columbia canceled last week.
The government said last year it had tugs funds for the university's failure to protect Jewish students from harassment as it spread to campus throughout the war in Gaza. Some of the demonstrations included chants, signs and literature that expressed support for the Hamas-led terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023.
Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident of the United States who recently completed his graduate program in Colombia, played a prominent role in the university's pro-Palestinian student movement. The Trump administration says that Palestinian heritage, Halil, is a national security threat. He also accused him of participating in anti-Semitic activities, but officials have not accused him of being in contact with Hamas. He is in custody at a Louisiana detention center.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. Columbia declined to comment beyond Dr. Armstrong's letter.
