Mahmoud Khalil, one of the leaders of anti-Israel Protests at Columbia University Last year remain in the detention of ICE for now after a hearing in a federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday.
District judge Jesse Furman of the American District Court for the Southern District of New York has previously ordered that the 30-year-old was not deported, while the court regards the legal challenge of his lawyers.
Furman said on Wednesday that his order not to deport Khalil was not based on the merits of the case, which still has to be heard. During a hearing, the judge spoke about the planning of letters with regard to the detention of Khalil While demonstrators Wearing Palestinian flags and plates gathered outside and demanded his release.
Khalil is in Louisiana after Ice Agents have arrested him in his apartment of the university on the Upper West Side of the city on Saturday. Agents told him that they caught up with his green card and student visa, according to Khalil’s lawyers.
Mahmoud Khalil, one of the leaders of Anti-Israël protests at Columbia University last year, will remain in iceboog thigh on Wednesday after a hearing in a federal court in Manhattan. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton, Links and Getty Images)
Ice officers arrest anti-Israel activist who led protests at Columbia University for months
Lawyers for the federal government argued that the location for the case would be moved from New York City to Louisiana or New Jersey – two locations where he is held since he was held by ICE on weekends.
Brandon Waterman, who represents the Ministry of Justice, argued that Khalil was not in New York or New Jersey when the first motions were submitted and New York is not the right location.
The lawyer of Khalil, Ramsi Kassem, said that they have not seen the papers of the government, but want the case to be transferred to New Jersey, because Khalil was when the motion was submitted there.
People demonstrate prior to a hearing about the detention of Mahmoud Khalil in New York City, on March 12, 2025. Khalil was held on weekends during the ice and said he had withdrawn his green card. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)
Kassem said that access to his client is seriously limited and requires “normal” access to their client, because he inhibits their ability to work on the matter. The judge said he was inclined to offer privileged access to Khalil and gave a privileged call today and one phone call tomorrow.
Furman, who called the legal issues ‘important and heavy’, asked the two parties to submit a joint letter on Friday in which they are described when they propose written arguments on the legal issues addressed by the detention of Khalil.
Kassem told Furman that Khalil was “identified, focused and detained” because of his advocacy for Palestinian rights and his protected speech. He said that Khalil has no criminal convictions, but “for some reason is being held.”
View: Columbia Anti-Israël protest leader Mahmoud Khalil is confronted with hearing about detention
Khalil’s lawyers are planning to submit a changed petition. They want an accelerated schedule to hear the case in the merits and have to submit Thursday at 9 p.m. on Thursday with an answer before the afternoon on Friday.
Khalil, a Palestinian, raised in Syria and a permanent American resident, is married to an American citizen who is currently eight months pregnant.
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The Ministry of Interior Security said that it carried out the arrest to protect US national security and claimed that Khalil led activities that were tailored to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. “
Mahmoud Khalil, left, and protesters earlier this week, on the right. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, Links, Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, right.)
Khalil played one Great role in the protests against Israel who turned Columbia University upside down last year, and he met university officials on behalf of the apartheid of Columbia University, a group of student groups that encouraged the university to divest from Israel, according to CNN.
White House Pers Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision of the Trump government to arrest Khalil and claimed that he was spreading pro-Hamas propaganda flyers on campus.
The Associated Press has contributed to this report.
