White House could face 'all sorts of legal trouble' for detaining student activist: report

The White House could face legal repercussions after it reportedly ordered the Department of Homeland Security to detain Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil.

Amy Greer, Khalil's attorney, told The Associated Press that her client was at his home Saturday night when he was arrested despite being a permanent legal resident with a green card. The Palestinian graduate student played a prominent role in last spring's anti-Israel protests on campus.

"Looks like the order to detain the Columbia student, who is not here on a visa but is a permanent resident, came from the White House," Drop Site News correspondent Ryan Grim reported on Sunday.

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Politico senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein pointed out that the move could spell trouble for the White House.

"This sort of thing could get the White House in all sorts of legal trouble," Gerstein wrote on X on Sunday. "Not the substance of the decision, but if WH is really running everything i.e. is operationalized I think a lot of the usual privilege claims will be weaker."