Columbia University acting President Claire Shipman was greeted with boos and chants of “free Mahmoud” as she took the lectern to speak at the school’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
Videos posted to social media showed Shipman pausing while students heckled her before she could begin speaking.
“I know that many of you feel some amount of frustration with me and I know you feel it with the administration. And I know that we have a strong, strong tradition of free speech at this university. And I am always open to feedback, which I am getting right now,” Shipman said at the start of her remarks, allowing for another round of boos after each sentence.
Later in her speech, Shipman was interrupted by students chanting “free Mahmoud,” in reference to Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student who was detained by immigration authorities in March in New York City and remains in custody in Louisiana.
Khalil, a Syrian-born immigrant with legal U.S. permanent residency — also known as a green card — was a vocal member of the student-led protests at Columbia against the war in Gaza. Khalil has not been accused of any crimes, but the Trump administration has argued he should be deported on the grounds that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined his presence in the U.S. and protest activities pose “adverse foreign policy consequences.” The administration has also accused Khalil of immigration fraud. His lawyers dispute both claims.
An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled last month that the administration could continue its effort to deport Khalil, saying she did not have the authority to dispute Rubio’s determination, which cites a rarely used law. She put the immigration fraud accusation on hold, however. A separate case is progressing in New Jersey, in which lawyers have challenged the legality of Khalil’s detention.
Khalil is among several college students who have been detained or had their visas revoked amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on what it says are antisemitic or pro-Hamas activities. Civil rights groups have criticized the moves, accusing the government of punishing students for their political beliefs and violating their First Amendment rights.
Among those targeted by the administration was Mohsen Mahdawi, a 34-year-old legal U.S. resident who was detained in mid-April during a citizenship interview in Vermont. He was released on April 30 after a Vermont federal judge ruled Mahdawi was likely being punished for protected speech.
Mahdawi graduated from Columbia on Monday, wearing a keffiyeh and displaying the scales of justice on his ceremonial cap as he accepted his diploma. Prior to the ceremony, he told CBS News he felt a “mix of emotions,” including a “feeling of being victorious.” He said he plans to return to the school to pursue a graduate degree.
Shipman has been acting president of Columbia since late March, when she took over for interim President Katrina Armstrong, who herself had taken over when former university president Dr. Minouche Shafik resigned following criticism of her handling of the protests over the Israel-Hamas war and allegations of antisemitism on campus.