In Newark, New Jersey, legal representatives of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University scholar threatened with deportation for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, are calling for his release from a Louisiana immigration detention facility. They argue that his detention is a “Kafkaesque” attempt to suppress freedom of speech.
Defense attorney Baher Azmy emphasized the growing intimidation factor, noting widespread awareness of the case and the fear of being targeted for opposing U.S. foreign policies. The legal teams gathered at a Newark courtroom on Friday to discuss where the case for Khalil’s release should be reviewed. August Flentje, representing the Department of Justice, proposed that the proceedings continue in Louisiana, asserting the need for jurisdictional clarity.
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz labeled the venue issues as “tricky” and pledged to deliver a written decision soon. He refrained from hearing Khalil’s bail plea until the jurisdictional matter is resolved. Noor Abdallah, Khalil’s expectant wife and an American citizen, attended the hearing with supporters, while demonstrators outside the courthouse rallied for Khalil’s release with chants and placards.
Ramzi Kassem, another of Khalil’s lawyers, urged sustained pressure on the government to prevent the suppression of free expression. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has intensified efforts to arrest and deport student activists involved in Israeli opposition protests.
Khalil emerged as a mediator for pro-Palestinian students at Columbia during discussions to dismantle their campus tent protests in the previous spring. Although no crimes were committed, Trump’s administration seeks Khalil’s deportation because they perceive his protest participation as antisemitic support for Hamas. They utilized an uncommon statute allowing the secretary of state to expel noncitizens deemed threats to U.S. foreign-policy interests. Khalil, a Syrian-born legal U.S. resident, disputes these claims of antisemitism.
Additionally, U.S. officials accused Khalil of omitting employment history details on immigration forms, including roles at a British embassy and a stint with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. Following his March 8 arrest in New York, Khalil was swiftly transferred to immigration facilities, ultimately landing in Louisiana.
Azmy contends that the administration’s stance to keep the case outside the New York City area relies on an unorthodox interpretation of Habeas corpus, usually facilitating detainee challenges to imprisonment. He criticized the repeated relocations, likening them to a “Kafkaesque” scenario. He also referenced the federal arrest of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student who faced a similar fate with a sudden transfer to Louisiana.
Government counsel stated there were no immediate relocation plans for Khalil. Meanwhile, the crackdown on student activists has seen several individuals in the U.S. impacted, from revocations of visas to arrests, across diverse institutions, including Cornell, Georgetown, and Brown universities. Other impacted students and faculty, originating from various parts of the world such as Gambia, India, Lebanon, and Korea, have faced immigration-related repercussions due to their support for Palestinian causes.