NEW YORK — Federal immigration officials have denied a request made by Mahmoud Khalil for a temporary release from detention so he could attend the birth of his first child. Khalil, an activist affiliated with Columbia University, has been detained at a facility in Jena, Louisiana for approximately six weeks. He submitted a request on Sunday morning for a two-week furlough, as his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, had gone into labor earlier than anticipated. According to communication shared, Khalil’s plea was not granted.
The request for release was accompanied by a willingness from Khalil to adhere to specific conditions, including the possibility of wearing an ankle monitor and participating in routine check-ins with immigration officials. Despite these assurances, Mellissa B. Harper, who leads the New Orleans Field Office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), declined the request, stating that after reviewing the information and Khalil’s case, the furlough could not be approved.
Dr. Abdalla expressed her distress at having to give birth without her husband’s presence, describing the decision as a deliberate act by ICE that inflicted suffering on her, Khalil, and their newborn son. She stated, “My son and I should not be navigating his first days on earth without Mahmoud,” conveying her belief that the administration’s actions were aimed at penalizing Khalil for his activism supporting Palestinian rights.
ICE officials have not provided a comment on this situation at the time of reporting. Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the United States and a graduate student, gained visibility as a spokesperson for university protests against Israeli actions in Gaza. His detention by federal agents occurred in his Manhattan apartment’s lobby on March 8, marking the first arrest under President Donald Trump’s policy targeting pro-Palestinian activists.
Although the Trump administration has not claimed Khalil engaged in any criminal activity, they argue for his expulsion based on his political views. A decision by an immigration judge in Louisiana recently determined that Khalil’s presence could cause “potentially serious foreign policy consequences,” fulfilling the criteria for deportation. His legal team plans to challenge this ruling before the Board of Immigration Appeals.