Columbia anti-Israel protest ringleader Mahmoud Khalil to remain detained in Louisiana

Mahmoud Khalil, 1 of the ringleaders of anti-Israel protests astatine Columbia University past year, volition stay successful ICE custody for present pursuing a proceeding successful a Manhattan national tribunal connected Wednesday. 

District Judge Jesse Furman from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York antecedently ordered that the 30-year-old not beryllium deported while the tribunal considers the ineligible situation brought by his lawyers. 

Furman connected Wednesday said his bid not to deport Khalil was not based connected the merits of the case, which has yet to beryllium heard. The justice spoke during a hearing over the scheduling of briefs regarding Khalil’s detention portion protesters carrying Palestinian flags and signs gathered extracurricular and demanded his release. 

Khalil is successful Louisiana after ICE agents arrested him astatine his university-owned flat connected the city’s Upper West Side connected Saturday. Agents told him they were revoking his greenish paper and pupil visa, according to Khalil's attorneys.

Mahmoud Khalil, 1 of the ringleaders of anti-Israel protests astatine Columbia University past year, volition stay successful ICE custody for present pursuing a proceeding successful a Manhattan national tribunal connected Wednesday.  (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton, near and Getty Images)

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Lawyers for the national authorities argued that the venue for the lawsuit beryllium moved from New York City to Louisiana oregon New Jersey -- 2 locations wherever helium has been held since being detained by ICE implicit the weekend. 

Brandon Waterman, representing the Justice Department, argued that Khalil was not successful New York oregon New Jersey erstwhile the archetypal motions were filed and New York is not the due venue.

Khalil’s attorney, Ramsi Kassem, said they person not seen the government’s papers, but privation the lawsuit transferred to New Jersey arsenic that’s wherever Khalil was erstwhile the question was filed.

People show up of a proceeding connected the detention of Mahmoud Khalil successful New York City, connected March 12, 2025. Khalil was detained by ICE implicit the play and told helium was having his greenish paper revoked. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

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Kassem said entree to his lawsuit is severely constricted and are asking for "normal" entree to their lawsuit arsenic it is inhibiting their quality to enactment connected the case. The justice said helium was inclined to supply privileged entree to Khalil and granted 1 privileged telephone contiguous and 1 telephone tomorrow.

Furman, calling the ineligible issues "important and weighty," asked the 2 sides to taxable a associated missive connected Friday describing erstwhile they suggest to taxable written arguments implicit the ineligible issues raised by Khalil’s detention.

Kassem told Furman that Khalil was "identified, targeted and detained" due to the fact that of his advocacy for Palestinian rights and his protected speech. He said Khalil has nary transgression convictions, but "for immoderate reason, is being detained."

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Khalil’s attorneys mean to record an amended petition. They privation an expedited docket to perceive the lawsuit connected the merits and person to record by 9 p.m. Thursday with a effect owed by noon connected Friday.

Khalil, who is simply a Palestinian raised successful Syria and a imperishable U.S. resident, is joined to an American national who is presently 8 months pregnant.

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The Department of Homeland Security said that it conducted the apprehension to support U.S. nationalist security, and claimed that Khalil "led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated violent organization."

Mahmoud Khalil, left, and protesters earlier this week, right.  (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, left, Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, right.)

Khalil played a major relation successful the protests against Israel which rocked Columbia University past year, and helium met with assemblage officials connected behalf of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a radical of pupil groups urging the assemblage to divest from Israel, according to CNN. 

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration's determination to apprehension Khalil and claimed that helium distributed pro-Hamas propaganda fliers connected campus. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.