Wed Mar 19 14:39:18 UTC 2025: ## Federal Judge Orders Review of Palestinian Activist’s Deportation Case
**New York, NY** – A federal judge has ordered a thorough review of the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Palestinian rights activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and legal permanent resident. Judge Jesse Furman deemed the case “exceptional” and requiring “careful review,” rejecting the administration’s request to dismiss Khalil’s habeas corpus petition.
Khalil, detained since March 8th, faces deportation under a rarely used provision of immigration law citing “adverse foreign policy consequences” due to his participation in campus protests concerning Gaza. The government alleges his activities are “aligned to Hamas,” while Khalil and his supporters maintain his actions were peaceful advocacy for Palestinian rights. No criminal charges have been filed.
Judge Furman acknowledged Khalil’s claims of free speech and due process violations, stating these “warrant careful review.” While the judge refused to adjudicate the case in New York, transferring it to New Jersey where Khalil was initially detained, he maintained a previous order preventing Khalil’s deportation pending review. The judge did not rule on bail.
The administration’s attempt to move the case to Louisiana was rejected. The case’s transfer to New Jersey is immediate, although a hearing date remains unspecified.
Khalil’s detention has sparked widespread criticism, with advocates like the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) condemning his treatment as a violation of free speech rights and comparing it to tactics used by authoritarian regimes. Khalil himself, in a statement from detention, described himself as a political prisoner. His wife, a US citizen, is eight months pregnant.
First Piper 