The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a crackdown on international students involved in pro-Palestine protests, arresting at least three students in recent weeks. According to reports, the students were detained on the grounds that they pose a threat to the US's foreign policy interests.

The first student to be arrested was Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University. Following Khalil's detention, President Donald Trump hinted that it was just the beginning, and DHS has since arrested two more students: Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, and Momodou Taal, a student at Cornell University.

Suri was arrested outside his home in Virginia on Monday, with his attorneys claiming that he is being targeted due to his wife's Palestinian heritage. In a habeas corpus petition, Suri's attorneys stated that he has been "long been doxxed and smeared" by far-right groups. The petition also alleges that Suri's wife, Mapheze Saleh, is being targeted due to her father's former role as an adviser to a Hamas leader.

However, Suri's wife's father, Ahmed Yousef, has publicly criticized Hamas's actions and left his position over a decade ago. Yousef told the New York Times that Suri is not involved in any "political activism." Despite this, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed that Suri was "spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media," although she provided no further evidence.

Taal, the Cornell University student, had recently sued the Trump administration, alleging that he fears "government retaliation" for engaging in "constitutionally protected expression critical of US foreign policy and supportive of Palestinian human rights." Taal's attorneys stated that the Department of Justice contacted them to inform them that the government intended to serve Taal with a Notice to Appear in immigration court and take him into ICE custody.

The arrests have raised concerns about the targeting of international students involved in political activism, particularly those who are critical of US foreign policy. The move has been seen as a crackdown on free speech and a threat to academic freedom.

The implications of these arrests are far-reaching, with potential consequences for international students and academic institutions across the US. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the Trump administration will justify these actions and what measures will be taken to protect the rights of international students.

In the meantime, the arrests have sparked outrage among human rights groups and academic communities, with many calling for the immediate release of the detained students and an end to the targeting of political activists.