Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student who was responsible for anti-Israel protests on campus, will remain in detention in Louisiana until at least next week following an initial court hearing in New York on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
The hearing addressed the Trump administration’s decision to deport Khalil for his involvement in the campus protests against Israel.
A permanent US resident married to an American citizen, Khalil, 30, was initially held in New Jersey after his arrest on Saturday before being transferred to an immigration facility in Louisiana.
After his arrest, Judge Jesse M. Furman ruled that Khalil cannot be deported while the court reviews a legal challenge brought forward by his attorneys. The legal team is pushing for Khalil to be returned to New York and released under supervision.
During the hearing, Justice Department attorney Brandon Waterman argued that the case should be transferred to Louisiana or New Jersey, where Khalil has been detained.
However, Khalil’s lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, asserted that his client was “identified, targeted and detained” due to his advocacy for Palestinian causes and his public statements. Kassem emphasized that Khalil has no criminal convictions, yet “for some reason, is being detained.”
Additionally, Kassem informed the court that Khalil’s legal team has been unable to conduct a single private phone call with him. In response, Judge Furman ordered authorities to grant Khalil access to his lawyers by phone at least once on both Wednesday and Thursday. He also instructed both sides to submit a joint letter by Friday outlining their arguments regarding the legality of Khalil’s detention.
Wednesday’s hearing came two days after a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked the deportation of Khalil.
Khalil’s arrest followed the Trump administration’s official announcement that it would revoke $400 million in federal grants due to Columbia’s handling of antisemitism.
Columbia has come under increased scrutiny over the rise in antisemitism on campus since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators at Columbia set up dozens of tents in April of last year, demanding that the university divest from its Israeli assets. The university administration called in police to dismantle the encampments.
On April 30, at the request of university leaders, hundreds of officers with the New York Police Department stormed onto campus, gaining access to the building through a second-story window and making dozens of arrests of the pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators who had taken over Hamilton Hall.
In August, three Columbia University deans resigned from the school, after it was discovered that they had exchanged “very troubling” texts that “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes”.
The university has seen a resurgence of anti-Israel activity in recent weeks. In January, anti-Israel students disrupted an Israeli history class by banging drums, chanting “Free Palestine,” and distributing fliers that depicted a boot stomping on a Star of David.
The students were later expelled, prompting protests at Barnard College. The demonstrations escalated when protesters took over the Barnard College library, leading to multiple arrests.