Students gathered in New York City's Washington Square Tuesday to protest the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents this past weekend.

Hundreds of demonstrators marched downtown while a spokeswoman for President Trump said the president had the authority to detain Mahmoud Khalil.

Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has been held in New Jersey and Louisiana as the Trump administration tries to deport him because of his participation in pro-Palestinian

An activist who led Pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University will remain detained in Louisiana following a brief Wednesday court hearing. Judge Jesse Furman said he would grant a request by Mahmoud Khalil's lawyers allowing them to have privileged phone calls with Khalil at least twice — today and tomorrow.

Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil will remain at a detention center in Louisiana for the near future as a Manhattan federal judge weighs further arguments from the pro-Palestinian  student