Judge declines to release Mahmoud Khalil after government shifts to 'other charge of removability'
UNITED STATES, JUN 13 – Federal judge rules Mahmoud Khalil can remain detained over allegations he lied on his green card application despite blocking his deportation on other grounds.
- Federal authorities detained Palestinian Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil on March 8 at his campus housing during a crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests.
- Khalil's detention arose after the Trump administration revoked his green card under a 1952 immigration law provision citing foreign policy concerns, which a judge later ruled likely unconstitutional.
- Although a judge ordered Khalil's release Wednesday, federal prosecutors shifted to detaining him over alleged green card application fraud and appealed to keep him in custody.
- Judge Michael Farbiarz declined the petitioner's appeal for release, permitting continued detention despite questions about the initial justification.
- The ongoing legal battle highlights tensions between political activism, immigration enforcement, and constitutional rights amid increased scrutiny of campus protests on Israel-Gaza conflict.
225 Articles
225 Articles
DOJ seeks to keep anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil detained in Louisiana immigration jail
Department of Justice attorneys asked a federal judge on Tuesday to reject anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil’s request for authorities to release him or transfer him from an immigration detention center in Louisiana to one in New Jersey.The government attorneys said the courts do not have the authority to intervene with the executive branch's decision to detain a noncitizen who is in removal proceedings. "Congress authorized detention of alien…
Weaponizing Immigration: Trump Administration Accused of Using Deportation Powers to Punish Protesters, Chill Political Speech
June 17, 2025 Documents Mahmoud Khalil v. Donald Trump New Jersey District Court Amicus brief NJ District Court: Initial Ruling NJ District Court: Concluding Ruling Trump Admin. Letter Refusing Release NJ District Court: Order Denying Release NEWARK, NJ — Warning that the Trump administration’s actions likely pose a serious threat to constitutional rights, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the government from deporting a legal U.S. resi…
DOJ’s Constitutional Dodge: When One Detention Reason Fails, Just Try Another
When a federal judge ruled last week that Marco Rubio can't just declare that the US can detain green card holder Mahmoud Khalil based on the Secretary of State's "vibes check" assessment of his political beliefs, you might think Khalil would finally be free to return to his family. You'd be wrong. The DOJ has…
Mahmoud Khalil requests transfer from jail after judge blocks release
Attorneys for the Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil requested that a federal judge immediately release him on bail, or else transfer him to New Jersey to be closer to his family, as the Trump administration seeks to keep him in custody in Louisiana. The latest request, filed Monday afternoon, follows a whirlwind week in the legal case against Khalil, a lawful permanent resident who has been detained since March on allegations that his presence…
Federal judge rules Columbia anti-Israel protest leader Mahmoud Khalil to remain in jail
The judge wrote that Khalil may file an application for bail with an immigration judge. By JNS Michael Farbiarz, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate who the Trump administration alleges has terror ties, must remain in detention for an alleged immigration fraud charge. Earlier this week, the court ruled that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s justif…
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