Mahmoud Khalil can be deported, judge rules
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Protestors hold signs calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil during a rally outside the White House on March 18. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Detained Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil can be deported despite his status as a legal U.S. resident, a judge ruled Friday according to multiple outlets.
The big picture: It's a win for the Trump administration in a historic test of immigrants' speech rights.
- The arrest of Khalil, a leader in Columbia's pro-Palestinian protests and a U.S. green card holder from Syria, sparked outcry across the country.
- Khalil is being held in Louisiana and his lawyers were seeking his immediate release, arguing his detention is in violation of the First Amendment.
Driving the news: Immigration Judge Jamee E. Comans said the government's argument that Khalil's presence in the U.S. poses threats to U.S. foreign policy is "facially reasonable."
- The judge gave Khalil's legal team until April 23 to request relief to stop his deportation.
- Comans temporarily put on hold the government's claim that Khalil committed immigration fraud.
Yes, but: Despite the ruling, Khalil's federal habeas case, which is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, will continue.
- Judge Michael Farbiarz, who is overseeing that case, ordered both the government and Khalil's legal team to immediately report to his court after the immigration hearing.
What they're saying: Khalil's attorney, Marc van der Hout, said in a statement that their "worst fears" played out.
- "Mahmoud was subject to a charade of due process, a flagrant violation of his right to a fair hearing, and a weaponization of immigration law to suppress dissent," he said. "This is not over, and our fight continues."
Zoom in: Khalil's legal team on Friday planned to contest the evidence provided by the government and asked to depose Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- The government had argued in a memo from Rubio that allowing Khalil to remain in the country would "undermine U.S. policy to combat anti-Semitism around the world and in the United States, in addition to efforts to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the United States."
- The memo does not allege criminal conduct by Khalil and he has not been charged with any crime.
- Khalil's attorneys said ahead of the hearing that the government provided no analysis or evidence that show their client is a threat to national security.
Context: Khalil helped lead last year's protests over the war in Gaza. The protests disrupted campus activities and led to allegations of antisemitic harassment of some Jewish students.
- Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last month as part of Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown.
- At the time of Khalil's arrest last month, ICE informed him that his student visa was revoked. Upon learning he was a legal resident, they revoked his green card instead, his attorney told Axios after his arrest.
Go deeper: Trump admin's evidence against Mahmoud Khalil focuses on "antisemitic" beliefs
Editor's note: This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
