A federal judge in New York has issued a temporary order preventing the Trump administration from deporting Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist at Columbia University who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday night.
The court will hold a conference on Wednesday to discuss the case further, though it is unclear if Khalil will be present, CNN reported.
The judge’s filing states, “To preserve the court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the court orders otherwise.”
Khalil was reportedly detained following a State Department order to revoke his green card, according to his attorney. His arrest has been characterised as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to target pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses.
After hiss arrest, hundreds of supporters gathered in lower Manhattan to demand his release. Khalil, who completed his master’s degree in December, was a leading figure in the student-led anti-war movement at Columbia and was under investigation for his activism.
The Palestinian activist’s attorney, Amy Greer, criticised the arrest as a means of repressing student activism and political speech, specifically targeting those who criticise Israel’s actions in Gaza. “The US government has made clear that they will use immigration enforcement as a tool to suppress that speech,” she stated.
Khalil is being held at a detention facility in Jena, Louisiana. His lawyers have requested the court to reverse his transfer, arguing that it undermined his access to legal counsel and family.
The day before his arrest, Khalil emailed interim university president Katrina Armstrong, seeking assistance with legal support amid what he described as a “dehumanizing doxing campaign” against him. In the email, he expressed concerns about being labelled a “terrorist threat” and facing calls for his deportation.
The Trump administration has utilised a provision of immigration law that allows for deportation if the secretary of state believes an individual’s presence poses serious foreign policy consequences. This legal basis has led to Khalil’s detention, which experts note is uncommon for green card holders.
Khalil’s arrest is seen as an alarming precedent for political dissent in the U.S., particularly regarding criticisms of Israel. Activists have expressed concern that if this can happen to Khalil, it could happen to anyone involved in similar activism.
The situation has ignited outrage among civil rights organizations. The New York Immigration Coalition’s president, Murad Awawdeh, labelled the targeting of Khalil an affront to First Amendment rights, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the arrest as an attack on the humanity of Palestinians.
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Khalil has been a prominent figure in protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have resulted in significant casualties, primarily among civilians.
His activism has included calls for Columbia University to divest from companies supporting Israel, and he has been involved in protests that have drawn national attention.
