• Protesters rally in support of detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, on Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York (AP)

A far-right group that took credit for the arrest of a Palestinian activist and permanent US resident—whom the Trump administration is seeking to deport—claims to have submitted "thousands of names" for similar action, The Guardian reported on Friday.

Betar US is among several right-wing, pro-"Israel" organizations backing and instigating the Trump administration’s crackdown on international students involved in pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses. This campaign escalated further with the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, an activist who recently completed graduate studies at Columbia University.

This week, Trump described Khalil’s arrest as "the first of many to come," while Betar US swiftly took credit on social media, stating it had provided Khalil’s name to authorities.

Betar declared on Monday that it had "been working on deportations and will continue to do so," threatening that the effort would extend beyond immigrants.

“Expect naturalized citizens to start being picked up within the month,” the group posted on X.

The group has compiled a so-called "deportation list" identifying individuals it claims are in the US on visas and have participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Betar spokesperson Daniel Levy told The Guardian that the group had submitted "thousands of names" of students and faculty—allegedly on visas—from institutions including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, and Syracuse University to Trump administration officials.

The group claims to possess "documentation, including tapes, social media and more" to support its actions. It says it has shared names with high-ranking officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

List identified through tips from students, faculty, and university staff

Ross Glick, who served as executive director of Betar US until last month, said the group began compiling its list last fall before the outcome of the US presidential election was known. He noted that the shift in administrations had bolstered their initiative.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestine protests, often framing campus demonstrations against "Israel’s" war on Gaza as expressions of support for Hamas. Last week, reports surfaced that the US State Department plans to use artificial intelligence to identify foreign students for deportation.

Khalil’s arrest, which followed his role as a lead negotiator for the Gaza solidarity encampment at Columbia, is based on Trump’s executive order allegedly targeting antisemitism. A related fact sheet outlined plans to revoke student visas for individuals deemed "Hamas sympathizers" and deport those involved in "pro-jihadist protests".

Following the election, Glick said he had met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including Democratic Senator John Fetterman and aides to Republican Senators Ted Cruz and James Lankford, all of whom, he claimed, supported the deportation efforts.

In a phone conversation with The Guardian this week, Glick said he discussed Khalil’s case with Cruz in Washington, DC, just days before the activist was detained.

According to Glick, individuals on Betar’s list were identified through tips from students, faculty, and university staff, as well as social media research. He further asserted that the group had received assistance from "collaborators" using "facial recognition AI-based technology" capable of identifying protesters even when wearing face coverings.

Glick said he had received an influx of messages from students, professors, and university administrators nationwide, providing him with information on protesters’ identities.

In the days leading up to Khalil’s arrest, videos surfaced on social media showing him and others participating in a peaceful sit-in at Barnard College to protest the expulsion of two students who had disrupted a class on "Israel".

The video of Khalil was initially posted by Canary Mission, an online database that exposes individuals it deems anti-"Israel" or "antisemitic", primarily targeting university students across the US.

Following Khalil’s arrest, Canary Mission stated it was "delighted that our exposure of Mahmoud Khalil’s hatred has led to such deserved consequences," adding that it had "more Columbia news on its way."

On Monday afternoon, Canary Mission released a new video naming five additional students and faculty members it believes should be deported.

Read more: ICE secretly moved Mahmoud Khalil in retaliation: The Intercept