Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University, has become the face of President Trump's crackdown on campus protests. Khalil, who was involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, was arrested by federal immigration agents and held for potential deportation. Trump's administration sees Khalil's arrest as a move to rid the country of foreign students accused of making American campuses intimidating for Jewish students, while civil rights advocates view it as an assault on free speech. Khalil, who has diplomatic experience, has been described as a kind and intelligent person by those who have worked with him.