Mahmoud Khalil's lawsuit against his detention can proceed, judge rules

Driving the news: U.S. District Court Judge Michael Fabiarz didn't address the substance of the case but said in his ruling that it can proceed in his New Jersey courtroom, rather than an immigration court in Louisiana which previously ruled Khalil can be deported.

• "If there needs to be fact-finding here, it may potentially be sprawling, and it may potentially involve sensitive evidence, or (renewed) requests to depose senior officials," Fabiarz wrote.
• The same judge has previously denied the Trump administration's attempts to move Khalil's case out of New Jersey.

Context: The Trump administration has argued that provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act prevent the court from reviewing Khalil's case.

• But Khalil's lawyers, seeking his immediate release, argue his detention is in violation of the First Amendment.

What they're saying: "The court has affirmed that the federal government does not have the unreviewable authority to trample on our fundamental freedoms," Noor Zafar, one Khalil's attorneys, said in an email statement.

• Representatives for ICE and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

More from Axios:

• Mahmoud Khalil was arrested without a warrant, DHS lawyers say
• Mahmoud Khalil, detained in ICE custody, misses baby's birth
• Mahmoud Khalil can be deported, judge rules