On March 10, the U.S. Education Department announced that sixty universities are under investigation for allegations related to antisemitic discrimination. The University of New Mexico is not on the list.
Two days earlier, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Columbia University alum and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was a lead negotiator during the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University, according to the Columbia Daily Spectator.
Khalil is a legal United States resident with no criminal record, according to The Associated Press.
Columbia University has since expelled, suspended and revoked degrees from students who were involved with occupying a campus building last April, according to Al Jazeera.
In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump wrote that Khalil’s arrest is “the first of many to come” and that the administration would apprehend and deport other protesters.
On March 16, protesters gathered at the UNM Bookstore to demand that Khalil be released. They voiced concerns about the possibility of similar incidents occurring at UNM.
Hannah Loftus, a UNM freshman who was at the protest, said she has been involved in pro-Palestine actions at UNM, including the solidarity encampment, since last year. She said Khalil’s arrest made her concerned for her peers who are involved in protests, especially for those who belong to marginalized communities.
“They're more likely to be targeted for these sorts of things, and that really worries me,” Loftus said.
Jennifer Tucker, a faculty member at the UNM School of Architecture + Planning, also attended the protest.
“I'm terrified that the things that have happened at Columbia will happen here,” Tucker said. “There's a concerted effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices. And it sets a dangerous precedent, which undermines everybody's capacity to speak freely on any issue, if we allow someone to be targeted, unlawfully detained and potentially deported for expressing their convictions.”
Protesters chalked messages on the pavement and walls outside the Bookstore.
Some of the messages read “No ICE at UNM,” and “Students are sacred, protect them.”
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In a statement to the Daily Lobo, UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair wrote that UNM is “aware of the Executive Orders relating to campus protests.”
“UNM encourages free expression and peaceful assembly, so long as such speech and activities do not violate federal or state laws, University policies or codes of conduct, or otherwise disrupt UNM’s mission and functions,” the statement reads.
On March 3, UNM Honors College Interim Dean Leslie Donovan sent an email to all Honors College members, reporting that messages had been written on whiteboards saying people with Zionist perspectives “are not welcome here.”
“If you are unclear about the meaning of Zionism or why these messages are antisemitic, I encourage you to research this issue using reliable sources, such as the Anti-Defamation League’s page,” Donovan wrote in the email.
Wikipedia editors in 2024 declared the ADL an unreliable source for finding information about Israel and Palestine because of its dual role as an advocacy and research organization, according to CNN.
Tucker said she finds it troubling that a University administrator used the source to identify antisemitism.
Donovan wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo that she had not been aware of the concerns regarding the ADL’s reliability when she sent the email. Determining the reliability of a source regarding controversial discussions is complex, she wrote.
“If you take away free speech and you don't apply any information behind it to the student body, there is room for violence and disorganization,” Loftus said.
Leila Chapa is the social media editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at socialmedia@dailylobo.com or on X @lchapa06
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on X @paloma_chapa88
Leila Chapa is the social media editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at socialmedia@dailylobo.com or on X @lchapa06
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
