NEW YORK — Mahmoud Khalil continues to be held in a Louisiana detention facility, where he will stay at least through next week, as ordered by a judge. However, he has now been granted the ability to consult with his lawyers as they challenge the Trump administration’s efforts to deport him due to his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. This decision was made during a hearing on Wednesday that delved into complex jurisdictional matters.
Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident and a Columbia University graduate student, was arrested on Saturday, which spurred hundreds of demonstrators to gather outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan to express their disapproval. Despite his arrest in Manhattan, Khalil was not transported to the court from Louisiana, where he currently resides, having briefly been held in New Jersey.
Judge Jesse M. Furman had previously ruled that Khalil should not be deported while his legal team pursues a challenge to have him moved back to New York and released under supervision. But for the present, Khalil remains detained in Louisiana. During the hearing, the Justice Department’s attorney, Brandon Waterman, argued for relocating the venue to Louisiana or New Jersey, pointing to those states as where Khalil has been held.
Khalil’s lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, countered by asserting Khalil was being detained due to his advocacy for Palestinian rights and, despite having no criminal convictions, was targeted for his speech. Kassem highlighted the difficulty Khalil’s legal team has faced in communicating with him, having been unable to secure a protected legal phone call. In response, Judge Furman ordered phone calls between Khalil and his lawyers to occur on Wednesday and Thursday, acknowledging the significance of the legal issues at stake. Both parties were instructed to file a joint letter on Friday with their proposed schedule for submitting written arguments regarding the case.
Attorney Kassem conveyed that updates to Khalil’s lawsuit would be forthcoming on Thursday. The arrest has sparked dissent not only in New York but across multiple U.S. cities. Prominent figures like actor Susan Sarandon spoke out, emphasizing the importance of free speech as a fundamental right and labeling the situation a pivotal moment for the country’s liberties.
Supporters of Khalil, identifiable by their keffiyehs and masks, packed the courthouse, while many more rallied outside, brandishing Palestinian flags and chanting for his release. In a speech, Kassem described Khalil’s detention as outrageous, arguing that the legal basis for his detention is vague and infrequently utilized, serving as a façade for retaliating against his speech.
Columbia University had become a hotbed for pro-Palestinian activism in the U.S., part of a nationwide movement last year that resulted in numerous arrests. Khalil, whose wife is expecting their first child, had completed his master’s degree requirements in December. As a grandson of displaced Palestinians from Syria, his personal history underscores the complexities surrounding his case.
President Donald Trump praised Khalil’s arrest as the beginning of further actions against individuals he accuses of engaging in anti-America activities. Trump’s Border czar, Tom Homan, called Khalil a national security threat, asserting that free speech has its limits.
From overseas, Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented that Khalil’s case isn’t primarily about free speech, but about addressing individuals without an inherent right to remain in the U.S. Stating that Khalil, who had served as a spokesperson for Columbia’s protesters, faces deportation based on foreign policy-related grounds.
The case has seen mixed reactions from various groups; civil rights advocates and Khalil’s attorneys argue the government is infringing upon his constitutional rights to silence his viewpoints, while some Jewish organizations have expressed support for the administration’s actions, viewing them as deterrents to campus antisemitism. Conversely, others criticize the Trump administration for using concerns about antisemitism to erode democratic values.