A federal judge in New York has temporarily blocked the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student, pending a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
Khalil was arrested by U.S. immigration agents on Saturday as part of President Donald Trump‘s efforts to crack down on anti-Israel protests.
Khalil, who holds a green card, was a key figure in Columbia’s pro-Palestinian student protests last year. His arrest has sparked widespread criticism, with demonstrators in New York City, the state attorney general, and the American Civil Liberties Union denouncing the move as an attack on free speech.
Hundreds of protesters marched through lower Manhattan, leading to brief clashes with police.
President Trump has labeled Khalil a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student” and vowed that his arrest is “the first of many to come.”
However, the Trump administration has not charged Khalil with any crime, stating only that his presence in the U.S. is “contrary to national and foreign policy interests.”
Khalil’s lawyers argue that his deportation would deprive him of access to legal counsel, as he has been moved to a detention center in Louisiana. They are urging the court to order his return to New York.
The Trump administration’s actions follow its decision to withdraw $400 million in federal grants from Columbia University, citing concerns over antisemitism on campus.
However, critics argue that the administration’s stance conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, and that Jewish students are also involved in the protests.
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