New York, MINA – Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil will remain in a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Louisiana after a recent hearing in New York.
A federal judge, Jesse Furman, blocked immediate deportation attempts and called for further court proceedings, Anadolu Agency reported.
During the hearing, Furman allowed Khalil to communicate with his legal team, following concerns raised by his attorneys regarding limited access.
Khalil’s lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, argued that the detention was retaliation for Khalil’s criticism of the US and Israeli governments and for his support of Palestinians in Gaza.
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The Justice Department proposed moving the case to either New Jersey or Louisiana.
Khalil, a permanent US resident and Columbia University graduate, was arrested at his university residence last Saturday. His lawyers described the arrest as a politically motivated deportation attempt by the Trump administration.
Khalil’s green card was revoked, even though he is not in the US on a student visa, and ICE agents cited this as the reason for his arrest.
He is married to a US citizen who is pregnant, and his wife condemned the arrest, expressing concerns about his ability to communicate with her.
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Fourteen members of Congress, including Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley, have signed a letter demanding Khalil’s release, calling his detention an attack on freedom of speech.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the revocation of Khalil’s green card, claiming it was not a matter of free speech but accusing Khalil of supporting Hamas. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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