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Democrats are deeply divided over the arrest of Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil from Columbia University, who was to be deported for his prominent role in campus protests against the war between Israel and Hamas.

Senators and candidates have dismissed Mahmoud Khalil's arrest as a violation of his First Amendment rights but tempered their criticism so as not to endorse campus protests that have sometimes been accompanied by insults and attacks on Jewish students.

They are also cautious in condemning Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people, kidnapping 250, and triggering an Israeli response that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in Gaza, including many civilians.

“I strongly disagree with many of the views and policies that Mahmoud Khalil holds and supports, and I have made my criticism of anti-Semitic actions at Columbia loudly known,” wrote Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a post to X on Tuesday.

But the Democrat from New York called out the Trump administration, which labeled Khalil a Hamas sympathizer, to justify his arrest by immigration authorities outside his apartment in New York over the weekend.

“If the administration cannot prove that he has violated any criminal law to justify this serious action and is doing so based on the views he expresses, then that is wrong, they are violating the right to free speech that we all enjoy, and they should retract their wrongful action,” he stated.

Khalil is a Palestinian from Syria who entered the US on a student visa and obtained legal permanent residence, often referred to as a green card. His wife, a US citizen, is eight months pregnant, his lawyers added in court documents.

President Donald Trump, who stated he wants to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses, celebrated the arrest on social media, saying it is 'the first of many.'

A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration's efforts to deport Khalil on Monday and scheduled a hearing for Wednesday.

Schumer's statement echoed a similar statement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, which was released on Monday.

“As long as his actions do not contradict Columbia University policy and do not create an unacceptable hostile academic environment for Jewish students and others, there is a serious disciplinary process at the university that can resolve this issue,” Jeffries wrote. “The lack of evidence of a crime, such as providing material support to a terrorist organization, actions supported by the Trump administration, grossly contradict the US Constitution.”

Other prominent Democrats have also confronted the arrest. Congressman Adam Smith from Washington noted in a social media post that he has some concerns about certain campus protests that have emerged across the country following the October 7 attack. He also stated that “Khalil has not committed any crime” and “should not be imprisoned for his political views.”

A small number of Democratic Party members are calling for Khalil's release, expressing support for the pro-Palestinian movement in a letter sent on Tuesday to Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen.

“We must be extremely honest: this is an attempt to criminalize political protest and a direct assault on the freedom of speech of everyone in this country,” stated the letter, signed by Palestinian American representatives Rashida Tlaib from Michigan. “Khalil's arrest is an act against Palestinian racism aimed at silencing the Palestinian solidarity movement in this country.”

Other Democratic House members who signed the letter include Representatives Mark Pocan from Wisconsin, Nydia Velazquez from New York, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Jasmine Crockett from Texas.

Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress, faced condemnation for her comments on the war between Israel and Hamas in November 2023. Omar was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023 due to her previous statements condemning Israeli authorities.

Correction: A previous version of this report contained an error in the spelling of Representative Ilhan Omar's name.