Dozens of anti-Israel protesters who occupied and barricaded themselves in buildings on the Columbia University campus in April had their charges dropped Thursday. 

The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dropped cases against 30 students and staff members who were arrested during the campus unrest.  

"All these matters are dismissed and sealed in the interest of justice," Judge Kevin McGrath announced in the courtroom.

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All the protesters were arrested on April 30, hours after taking over Hamilton Hall, an academic building, and were initially charged with trespass in the third degree, a misdemeanor.

Stephen Millan, a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office, said there was insufficient evidence to show that any individual defendant damaged property or injured anyone. He noted the protesters wore masks and covered surveillance cameras, Reuters reported. 

None of the students arrested had any prior criminal history, and all were facing disciplinary proceedings, including suspensions and expulsions, by Columbia University, prosecutors said.

"The Office is continuing to pursue cases from both campuses, including all assaults against police officers," the DA's office said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to Columbia and the City University of New York. "There are ongoing school disciplinary proceedings for the students who had their case dismissed."

Columbia University declined to comment on the dropped cases when reached by Fox News Digital. 

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The chaotic protests came amid similar demonstrations in which anti-Israel protesters set up illegal encampments on college campuses throughout the country over Israel's war with Hamas. The protests intensified after Columbia issued mass suspensions. 

Bragg's office declined to drop the charges against another 13 defendants. Two of the 13 were Columbia students, and the other 11 had no affiliation with the school, although most were alumni.

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Their cases would have been dropped if they avoided being arrested over the next six months. However, they rejected the offer and are scheduled to appear in court on July 25. 

The office is bringing charges against James Carlson, who is not affiliated with Columbia, of criminal mischief and arson for setting an Israeli flag alight prior to the takeover and for damaging a police surveillance camera in jail.

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Carlson appeared in court with his attorney, who said that they planned to challenge the prosecution.

Two men, whose immigration status is unknown to police, have been charged in the killing of a 12-year-old Houston girl who was found strangled to death in a creek this week, police said.

Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, were linked to the death of Jocelyn Nungaray and face capital murder charges, the Houston Police Department said Thursday. 

"It's just an overwhelming sense of relief to know they're just not out there," Nungaray's mother, Alexis Nungaray, told Fox Houston.

Investigators used surveillance video to track the movements of Martinez and Ramos before and after the killing, Houston police Lt. Stephen Hope said. 

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Earlier this week, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Nungaray was at a convenience store and was talking to her 13-year-old boyfriend on the phone after sneaking out of her family's apartment. The boyfriend told investigators that he could hear Nungaray talking with two people. 

Martinez and Ramos started their evening at a restaurant together on Sunday night, police said.

They left the restaurant and walked southbound when they were spotted on camera, police said. They were later seen meeting with Nungaray and talking to her for a few minutes. Later, Rangel Martinez and Pena Ramos, along with Jocelyn, walked to a 7-Eleven convenience store.

Authorities this week released images taken from surveillance video from the 7-Eleven where Nungaray was last seen.  

Afterward, the three of them walked to a bridge, where investigators said Nungaray was murdered. Rangel Martinez and Pena Ramos then walked to the apartment they shared and left the girl's body behind, police said. Police believe the pair lived in the same apartment complex as Nungaray.

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Alexis Nungaray said her daughter possibly saw the pair around but was not known to talk to strangers. 

"Maybe they were seen in the complex, but she normally wouldn't walk around," she told the news station.

The Harris County medical examiner reported that Jocelyn died as a result of strangulation. Authorities could not confirm if the girl was sexually assaulted.

When questioned about reports that the men are from Venezuela, police declined to answer and said their legal status had not yet been verified as of Thursday. 

"We have reached out to HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) and they are conducting that part of the investigation in terms of their status and legality here, and those types of things. So, I would defer you to them on the confirmation of those things," Acting Police Chief Acting Chief Larry J. Satterwhite told reporters. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. 

Following the arrests, Whitmire said the court system has to do its job and ensure both suspects are tried in a timely manner.

"We're going to be watching you; the arrests have taken place, and the charges have been filed. Now, we want the justice system to do its job. If there was ever a circumstance where you do not give someone bail, this is it," he said.