Columbia University students chain themselves to gate in protest of Mahmoud Khalil's detention by ICE

Several Columbia University students have chained themselves to a gate to protest Mahmoud Khalil's detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The students began protesting outside Columbia University's St. Paul’s Chapel on Wednesday afternoon, demanding that the institution release the names of the trustees "who gave Mahmoud Khalil’s name to ICE." The Columbia Palestine Solidarity Committee wrote on X that "We will not leave until our demand is met."

"FREE MAHMOUD KHALIL. NAME THE TRUSTEE. Jewish students will not leave. They will remain chained to the campus gates until @Columbia University is held accountable. WHO REPORTED MAHMOUD TO ICE?" the group wrote on X.

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Students chained themselves to the gates of Columbia University on Wednesday to demand accountability from university trustees after the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Students chained themselves to the gates of Columbia University on Wednesday to demand accountability from university trustees after the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Columbia University told Fox News Digital that the individuals chained to the gate on campus were removed by the institution's public safety officers after around two hours.

"We are monitoring a disruption at the gate of St. Paul’s Chapel involving approximately four individuals chained to a gate, which constitutes violations of the Rules of University Conduct. Individuals complied with the demand for identification but refused to leave the area. The chains were removed by Columbia’s Public Safety and the individuals were escorted off campus.

Students chained themselves to the gates of Columbia University on Wednesday to demand accountability from university trustees after the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"We will follow the process established in the Rules of University Conduct for enforcing violations. Our focus is on preserving our core mission to teach, create, and advance knowledge while ensuring a safe campus for our community," the spokesperson said. 

The protesters then sat outside the gates with their arms linked and said they planned to stay until Columbia shares "which trustee is responsible for informing on students," according to the Columbia Daily Spectator.

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Protesters display a banner from a balcony as students chained themselves to the gates of Columbia University on Wednesday to demand accountability from university trustees after the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Around 80 protesters were just outside the St. Paul’s Chapel gate on Columbia University's campus, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department told Fox News.

Protesters also draped a poster off of a nearby overpass that read: "Free Mahmoud Khalil. Name the trustees."

Khalil, one of the leaders of the Columbia University anti-Israel encampment in spring 2024, was detained by ICE agents in New York City in early March. The Department of Homeland Security alleged that Khalil "led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization."

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Mahmoud Khalil allegedly played a major role in the protests against Israel at Columbia University. (Ted Shaffrey/File)

Khalil was born in Syria and came to the U.S. in 2022 before becoming a permanent resident in 2024.