US Senator Bernie Sanders met with Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent anti-Israel protest leader at Columbia University who is facing deportation by the Trump administration for his alleged support of Hamas. Sanders, sharing a photo of their meeting, criticized the Trump administration for imprisoning Khalil and warned against threats to free speech and dissent. While Sanders has a history of supporting Israel, he has become increasingly critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has called for the US to halt arms shipments to Israel, though his legislative efforts have been unsuccessful. Khalil, meanwhile, has refused to specifically condemn Hamas, insisting his activism is focused on ending violence in Palestine and defending freedom of expression, while rejecting what he calls selective condemnation.