Khalil's detention marked a rise in crackdowns on foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian rallies.

Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil is taking aim at Trump-era officials who sought his deportation, saying he plans to hold them accountable for what he calls a politically motivated arrest.

The Trump administration is keeping Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil detained, despite a judge's Wednesday order for his release. Why it matters: The administration's tug-of-war with courts over Khalil,