Trump's claim is that this is for me, as a Jewish student, but I don't think it's protecting me or anyone else,” said one second-year student.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged that Khalil had played a role in organizing demonstrations at which fliers were handed out bearing a logo for Hamas, which she did not display.

Khalil’s arrest could have a chilling effect on on- and off-campus protests involving people who aren’t citizens, said Columbia University immigration law professor Elora Mukherjee. Already, she said, it had provoked panic and fear among immigrant students on campus.