NEW YORK – Hundreds of protesters gathered both inside and around Trump Tower in Midtown, with dozens arrested in a show of solidarity for Mahmoud Khalil.
Mahmoud Khalil, a U.S. resident, was arrested in New York Saturday and transferred to an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
The group claiming credit for the demonstration, “Jewish Voice for Peace”, explained on Instagram that the event was in protest of the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil.
“The Trump administration thinks it can crush dissent and strip away constitutional rights. We know this playbook. We refuse to allow our neighbors to be abducted in our name,” the post states. “As Jews, we are taking over the Trump Tower to register our mass refusal.”
The Trump administration has been actively seeking his deportation under a rarely used section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows for removal on foreign policy grounds.
This is a breaking news story. See live updates below.
READ MORE: Mahmoud Khalil’s detention will stretch on as lawyers spar over Trump’s plan to deport him: Latest
Actress Debra Winger among protesters
1:27 p.m. Chris Boex, AP
Among the protesters was actor Debra Winger, who has discussed her Jewish faith and upbringing over the years.
Winger accused the Trump administration of having “no interest in Jewish safety” and “co-opting antisemitism.””I’m just standing up for my rights, and I’m standing up for Mahmoud Khalil, who has been abducted illegally and taken to an undisclosed location,” she told The Associated Press. “Does that sound like America to you?”
NYPD clears out Trump Tower
1:18 p.m. Alex Meier
The NYPD cleared out most protesters who stormed Trump Tower by 1 p.m. Images show dozens of officers restraining protesters and escorting them onto an NYPD bus.
GOP responds
1:08 p.m. Adeja Shivonne, Chris Boex
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X to share a concerning update: protesters have reportedly OCCUPIED Trump Tower in New York City, chanting, “Free Mahmoud, Free them All!” Greene went on to state that she knows the building’s owner and expects legal action to be taken, with charges likely forthcoming.
Dozens arrested in and around Trump Tower
1:03 p.m. Adeja Shivonne
More than a dozen demonstrators have been arrested by the NYPD.
NYPD removes demonstrators from inside Trump Tower
12: 45 p.m. Adeja Shivonne
Video footage from inside Trump Tower shows protesters being escorted by police. Tensions between the protesters and law enforcement appear to be escalating.
NYPD removes demonstrators
12:39 p.m. Adeja Shivonne
Law enforcement officials are currently removing protesters from inside and around the building. The authorities are ensuring that the area is cleared in accordance with security protocols.
Protestors stage sit-in
11:54 a.m. Adeja Shivonne
Reports that protesters from ‘Jewish Voice for Peace’ are currently occupying the dining area of the tower. Authorities are monitoring the situation as it unfolds.
Reports of protesters storming Trump Tower
11:49 a.m. Adeja Shivonne
There are reports 100 protestors stormed inside Trump Tower. They were apparently moving tables and conducting a sit-in inside the lobby of the hotel.
Mahmoud Khalil’s detention will stretch on as lawyers spar over Trump’s plan to deport him: Late
What we know:
Videos posted across X show ‘Jewish Voices for Peace’ protesters moving tables and conducting a sit-in inside the lobby of the hotel.
Trump Tower is a 58-story, 663-foot-tall mixed-use condominium skyscraper at 721–725 Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan.
Who are ‘Jewish Voices for Peace’?
According to the group’s website, they are one of the largest grassroots Jewish organizations standing in solidarity with Palestinians.
The group considers themselves to be a multiracial, inter-generational movement for U.S. Jews looking end “support oppression of Palestinians.”
They’ve amassed over a million followers across their socials media pages.
Where is Mahmoud Khalil, what are Trump’s plan to deport him: Latest
Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil will remain detained in Louisiana despite his lawyers’ petition to have him returned to New York, where his eight-month-pregnant wife resides.
Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident married to an American citizen, was arrested in New York on Saturday and later transferred to an immigration detention center in Louisiana. The Trump administration is seeking his deportation under a rarely used section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows for removal on foreign policy grounds.
A federal judge in Manhattan has blocked his deportation for now, ordering that Khalil not be removed while legal proceedings continue. However, Khalil’s legal team has struggled to communicate with him, prompting Judge Jesse M. Furman to order that his attorneys be allowed phone access at least twice this week.
