Pro-Palestinian Activist Held, Lawyers Fight For New Jersey Hearing

Lawyers representing Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist detained at an immigration center in Louisiana, are engaged in a legal battle to transfer his case to New Jersey. Khalil remains in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the Trump administration seeks to deport him. Last week, the Southern District of New York ruled that the case should be heard in New Jersey, where Khalil was initially detained when his attorneys filed a petition on his behalf. Subsequently, the federal government filed a motion to retain him in Louisiana and proceed with the case there.

Legal Maneuvering and Allegations of Delay

"The government's motivation here is to delay, and as much as possible, the adjudication of the actual legality of their unconstitutional actions," stated Baher Azmy, Khalil's attorney. At a hearing held Friday in Newark regarding the case's jurisdiction, the judge did not issue an immediate ruling but promised a swift response. Khalil's legal team has also filed motions related to bail and preventing his transfer to any other location. Attorneys representing the Department of Justice asserted that they have no intention of moving him from Louisiana.

The judge indicated that he would withhold judgment on the bail issue until the jurisdictional matter is resolved. Azmy emphasized, "This case exemplifies a situation where the United States government has established a policy targeting Palestinian activists, specifically Mahmoud Khalil, for arrest, detention, and potential removal because the U.S. government disagrees with his constitutionally protected right to dissent from U.S. foreign policy." CBS News New York reached out to the DOJ for comment following Friday's hearing but did not receive a response.

Demonstrations and Calls for Release

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse, expressing their concerns about Khalil's continued detention rather than focusing solely on the case's location. "What's at stake right now in the U.S. is everybody's right to free speech. We need to be clear that this is a crackdown on everyone, not just the Palestine movement," stated one participant. Another demonstrator added, "Mahmoud Khalil is not alone, we are here and we will not be silent. We demand his release, we demand an end to the targeting of activists."

Khalil's Arrest and Detention

The 30-year-old father-to-be was arrested earlier this month when ICE agents arrived at his university-owned apartment building in Manhattan. "My husband was taken away from me in the middle of the night," his wife, Noor Abdalla, recounted to CBS News Sunday Morning. "It was one of the most terrifying times of my life. I don't think I've ever experienced anything scarier than that." He was transported to a New York field office, then to Elizabeth, New Jersey, before being flown to Louisiana.

Khalil, a Palestinian born in Syria, possesses a green card and legal permanent residency. He is not facing any criminal charges. After his detention, the government invoked a rarely used section of U.S. immigration law to justify his confinement and potential deportation. This law empowers the secretary of state to subject noncitizens to deportation if their actions are deemed to threaten foreign policy interests.

Wider Implications and Political Context

Khalil was a prominent figure during last year's pro-Palestinian encampment on Columbia's main lawn in Morningside Heights. Although not among the hundreds arrested during the protests, the White House alleges that his actions supported Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror group. CBS News has not uncovered evidence to support Khalil expressing support for Hamas. In a court filing earlier this week, the government also claimed that he failed to disclose certain aspects of his work history on his immigration paperwork, including an internship with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the Syria office of the British embassy in Beirut, and a group known as Columbia University Apartheid Divest.

In the weeks following Khalil's arrest, other students and faculty at Cornell, Georgetown, Brown, and Tufts universities have also been targeted by immigration officials due to their participation in demonstrations or public expressions of support for Palestinians. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday that 300 student visas have been revoked.