Federal Judge Stops Bid to Deport Columbia Activist Mahmoud Khalil
A New York federal judge has temporarily put on hold Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former student at Columbia University, from deportation after he was arrested by immigration officials. A court order released on Monday blocks any removal proceedings until at least Wednesday when there is a scheduled hearing.
Khalil, a central figure in Columbia’s student demonstrations calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, was arrested Saturday evening at his university-owned apartment by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents. His arrest comes on the heels of a State Department order revoking his green card, an action his attorney, Amy Greer, called a politically motivated effort to silence student activism.
The action is consistent with the recent promise by former President Donald Trump to deport foreign students who participate in campus protests against Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza. Khalil’s arrest is one of the first cases connected to this crackdown, and it has raised fears about the deployment of immigration enforcement to suppress political speech.
Legal Uncertainty and Detention in Louisiana
Khalil, a lawfully permanent resident with a U.S. citizen husband, was shipped off to a detention center in Jena, Louisiana, soon after his arrest. His lawyers have objected to the transfer, contending that it jeopardizes his right to have access to counsel and due process.
Court filings indicate that Khalil had contacted Columbia University’s acting president, Katrina Armstrong, the evening before his arrest, asking for legal safeguard against what he described as a “dehumanizing doxing campaign.” He alleged that unfounded claims accusing him of being a “terrorist threat” had driven calls for his deportation.
Increasing Indignation and Campus Reaction
Following Khalil’s detention, hundreds of demonstrators protested in lower Manhattan on Monday demanding his release. Columbia University, in the meantime, confirmed sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) around campus, declaring that it “has and will continue to follow the law.”
Despite allegations that Khalil’s student visa had been canceled, activists claim that he does not possess a student visa but a green card, which is valid. The State Department has refused to comment on the case, invoking confidentiality laws surrounding visa records.
While the legal process is ongoing, worries remain about the arrest’s ramifications for student activism and immigration rights, with Wednesday’s court hearing likely to decide the way forward in his case.
