Apr 1, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Mahmoud Khalil's case to proceed in New Jersey, federal judge rules

Sareen Habeshian

A protestor holds a sign calling for the release of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who has been arrested for his involvement with campus protests against Israel, as she and others pray during a rally outside the White House against Israeli bombing of Gaza on March 18, 2025 in Washingto — A protestor holds a sign calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil on March 18 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

A federal judge on Tuesday denied the Trump administration's second attempt to move Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil's case out of New Jersey.

The big picture: It sought to transfer the case to Louisiana, where the U.S. green card holder is being held, which could have placed it before one of the most conservative appeals courts in the country.

The arrest of Khalil, a leader in Columbia's pro-Palestinian protests, set the stage for a historic test of immigrants' speech rights under the Trump administration.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled in a written opinion that the New Jersey court has jurisdiction over the case since Khalil was in the state when his attorneys filed the motion challenging the legality of his detention.

The government argued the motion had to be filed in Louisiana because that's where Khalil is currently being held.

Context: A federal judge in the Southern District of New York had already ruled in March that the case should be heard in New Jersey.

But the Trump administration then re-filed a motion to transfer the case to Louisiana.

Zoom out: Khalil's legal team is seeking bail and his return from the Louisiana detention center.

They've asked the court to grant a preliminary injunction, which would immediately release him from custody.

What they're saying: "It is the fundamental job of the judiciary to stand up to this kind of government manipulation of our basic rights," Brett Max Kaufman, one of Khalil's lawyers and an ACLU attorney, said in a statement.

"We hope the court's definitive ruling sends a strong message to other courts around the country facing government attempts to shop for favorable jurisdictions by moving people detained on unconstitutional immigration charges around and making it difficult or impossible for their lawyers to know where to seek their immediate release," he added.

Go deeper: DOJ alleges key omissions on Mahmoud Khalil's green card application

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Mahmoud Khalil's case to proceed in New Jersey, federal judge rules

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