Overview

• Acting President Claire Shipman acknowledged the absence of Mahmoud Khalil, a detained graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, during her commencement speech.
• Students and demonstrators protested Khalil’s detention and deportation proceedings, chanting 'Free Palestine' and burning diplomas in symbolic acts of dissent.
• At least two protesters were arrested outside the ceremony, as NYPD officers responded to rowdy demonstrations near Columbia’s main gates.
• Khalil, detained by ICE since March, remains in a Louisiana facility, with federal authorities citing his activism as undermining U.S. foreign policy interests.
• Shipman reiterated Columbia’s support for free speech rights for international students, though some attendees criticized the university’s compliance with federal mandates.