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The government is trying to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident and defender of the Palestinian cause, accusing him of siding with terrorists.
March 11, 2025, 4:03 p.m. ET
A judge on Wednesday is expected to scrutinize the constitutional issues at play in the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate and permanent legal resident who was arrested over the weekend and taken to a Louisiana detention center.
The judge, Jesse Furman, has ordered the government not to remove Mr. Khalil from the United States while his case is pending.
Mr. Khalil, who has Palestinian heritage, was a leader of demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza, which rocked Columbia’s campus last year. Mr. Khalil has not been accused of any crime and his swift arrest and transfer have raised alarms about free speech protections as President Trump promises to crack down on protests at colleges.
Judge Furman has the power to order Mr. Khalil’s release, but it is unclear whether he might do so as early as the conference, on Wednesday morning at 11:30. The conference, however, could provide more information about the circumstances that led to the arrest and the government’s justification for Mr. Khalil’s continuing detention.
The future of Mr. Khalil’s immigration status will be decided in a separate process. That matter will be presided over by an immigration judge, who could determine whether to revoke Mr. Khalil’s green card.
Lawyers for Mr. Khalil have asked Judge Furman to return their client to New York and reunite him with his wife, an American citizen who is expected to give birth next month. At the Wednesday conference, the lawyers are expected to argue that his detention is a clear-cut retaliation for constitutionally protected speech on behalf of Palestinian people.
