Columbia College graduate scholar Mahmoud Khalil’s case was transferred to New Jersey on Wednesday by a federal choose in a compromise rejecting the pro-Palestinian activist’s bid to maintain it in Manhattan and the Justice Division’s try to maneuver it to Louisiana.
“These conclusions flow from the undisputed fact that, at 4:40 a.m. on March 9, 2025, when Khalil’s lawyer filed the Petition on his behalf, he was detained in New Jersey,” Manhattan Federal Decide Jesse Furman wrote.
The choose later added, “Khalil filed in the wrong district through no fault of his own; his lawyer reasonably relied on the information made available to her by the Government at the time of filing.”
The scholar activist, a inexperienced card holder, is dealing with potential deportation for his participation in campus protests in opposition to Israel’s warfare on Gaza and Columbia’s funding ties to the Israeli regime. He has not been charged with any crimes. As an alternative, the federal government says his advocacy threatens international coverage pursuits, citing an obscure provision that empowers the Secretary of State to order somebody deported after such a willpower.
Khalil was taken into custody by Homeland Safety brokers on March 8 after returning to his Columbia-owned condo from dinner along with his spouse. Brokers took him to decrease Manhattan for processing after which to a detention middle in Elizabeth, N.J., in the midst of the night time, the place he spent about eight hours earlier than being transported greater than 1,000 miles away to Jena, Louisiana.
An indication studying “Release Mahmoud Khalil” rests in opposition to a fence throughout a pro-Palestine protest organized by the Palestinian Youth Motion group exterior of the White Home in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, after Israel broke a ceasefire settlement, launching airstrikes that killed over 400 Palestinians. (BRYAN DOZIER/Center East Photos/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
In a Tuesday night time assertion, Khalil mentioned he’d been sleeping in chilly amenities with out a blanket and anxious he would miss the delivery of his first youngster. His spouse is eight months pregnant.
“The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent. Visa-holders, green-card carriers, and citizens alike will all be targeted for their political beliefs,” Khalil mentioned in a press release, which he dictated to his legal professionals from detention.
“Knowing fully that this moment transcends my individual circumstances, I hope nonetheless to be free to witness the birth of my first-born child.”
Legal professionals for Khalil and the Justice Division didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
This story shall be up to date.
Initially Printed: March 19, 2025 at 10:03 AM EDT
