US federal officials announced on Friday that US immigration authorities arrested a second person who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University after he overstayed his student visa, the latest development in the crisis engulfing one of the seven most important universities in the United States.

Officials said the student, whose arrest authorities acknowledged, is identified as Liqa'a Kurdiyeh, a Palestinian from the occupied West Bank. She was arrested in Newark, near New York, on Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security claimed in a statement that her student visa had been revoked in January 2022, and that she had been arrested by New York City police in April for her role in a campus protest at Columbia University.

The agency also released a video on Friday that it said showed a Columbia University student, identified as Ranjani Srinivasan, preparing to enter Canada after her student visa was revoked. The remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reflect an escalation in the Trump administration's focus on Columbia and Palestinian students. Protests against the war in Gaza last year sparked a nationwide debate about free speech and anti-Semitism, prompting similar demonstrations on dozens of other college campuses.

The actions come during a turbulent week at the university, which has seen a series of escalating controversies since federal immigration agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate and a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian campus protests, last weekend.

More than 200 students gathered outside the gates of Columbia University's main campus on Friday to protest the university's handling of Khalil's arrest. Protesters wore keffiyehs, waved Palestinian flags, and held signs with slogans such as "Free Mahmoud," "Get ICE off our campus," and "Columbia, you can't hide." The protests erupted less than 24 hours after Homeland Security agents entered campus with federal warrants and searched two dorm rooms. According to Interim President Katrina Armstrong, no one was arrested and nothing was taken.

Secretary Noem's social media posts on Friday appeared to indicate that Columbia University remains under scrutiny by the Trump administration.

Noem posted a video on social media platform X showing a woman walking through LaGuardia Airport carrying a small suitcase. Noem identified the woman as Srinivasan and said she used a U.S. Customs and Border Protection app to notify the government of her intent to deport herself. Srinivasan's dorm room was one of the rooms searched, according to her lawyer and roommate.

Nathan Yaffe, a member of Srinivasan's legal team, confirmed in a statement that federal agents entered her dorm room on Thursday in an attempt to detain her or demand information about her whereabouts.

Columbia University's campus was rocked by a severe crisis last week. On Thursday, the Trump administration demanded that the university make sweeping changes to its disciplinary and admissions policies before any negotiations could begin regarding the cancellation of $400 million in government grants and contracts.

Federal officials wrote in a letter that the university has a week to formalize its definition of anti-Semitism, ban masks "intended to conceal identity or intimidate," and place the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department under "academic conservatorship."

The government explained that these steps were necessary because of what it described as Columbia University's failure to protect Jewish students from harassment. Officials from three government agencies wrote that Columbia University "fundamentally failed to protect American students and faculty from anti-Semitic violence and harassment."

But civil libertarians argued that the government's demands would not only undermine free speech and academic freedom at Columbia University, but would also have a chilling effect on campuses across the country. "Subordination of universities to official authority is a hallmark of authoritarianism," Jameel Jaffer, director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said in a statement.

Others expressed particular concern about the university's demand to adopt a definition of anti-Semitism that could criminalize critics of Israel.

Tyler Coward, senior counsel for government affairs at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech and legal advocacy group, described the letter as a "plan to increase censorship at American colleges and universities."

“Universities across the country are likely reading this letter this morning and thinking they’d better censor speech — or they’ll be next,” Coward said in a statement.

A university spokeswoman said Thursday evening that Columbia University is "reviewing the communication" from government agencies. She added, "We remain committed to advancing our mission, supporting our students, and combating all forms of discrimination and hate on our campus."

Following the dorm search, Armstrong said in a letter to students and faculty late Thursday that she was "heartbroken" by the development and that Columbia University was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of its students, faculty, and staff.

In a separate action on Thursday, Columbia University announced a series of disciplinary actions against students who occupied a campus building last spring, including expulsion and suspension, among the steps called for by Trump administration officials in their letter.

The university said in a statement that the sanctions included "several years of suspension, temporary revocation of degrees, and expulsion." It was not clear how many students were punished. Among those expelled was Grant Miner, a Jewish graduate student who was part of a student coalition calling on Columbia University to divest from companies linked to Israel, according to the university's Student Workers Union, which Mr. Miner heads.