The legal battle over the detention of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has taken a new turn as a government lawyer requested that the case be moved to New Jersey or Louisiana. Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident, was arrested by immigration enforcement agents for his participation in pro-Palestinian protests at the university. His lawyers are arguing that his detention is retaliatory and a violation of free speech rights.
The judge in Manhattan, Jesse M. Furman, has ordered that Khalil not be deported while the legal challenge is being considered. Khalil’s lawyers are seeking his return to New York and release under supervision. The government is pushing to move the venue of the legal fight to Louisiana or New Jersey.
Khalil, who has not been charged with a crime, was a spokesperson for the pro-Palestinian protesters on campus. His detention has sparked protests in various cities, and civil rights groups are alleging that the government is using immigration control powers unconstitutionally to silence him.
The Trump administration has praised Khalil’s arrest as a step to counter campus anti-Semitism, while others have criticized it as an attack on free speech and democracy. The case has divided U.S. Jewish groups and leaders, with some welcoming the move as a deterrent to antisemitism, while others condemn it as an exploitation of real concerns about racism and suppression of civil liberties. The situation remains ongoing as Khalil’s lawyers continue to fight for his release and rights.
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