Judge Rules Deportation Case of Columbia Protester Must Stay in New Jersey
Federal court rejects Trump administration's push to move Mahmoud Khalil’s case to Louisiana, keeping legal battle close to where he was first detained.
Watan-A federal judge has ruled that the legal battle over the deportation of Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil must continue in New Jersey, rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to move the case to Louisiana. In a written decision issued Tuesday in Newark, Judge Michael Farbiarz stated that jurisdiction over the case should remain in New Jersey, where Khalil was detained when his lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition demanding his release.
The judge described the government’s arguments as “unconvincing.” While the ruling does not guarantee Khalil’s transfer from the detention center in Louisiana—where he is currently held as authorities seek to deport him over his participation in campus protests against Israel—it allows his legal team to present arguments for his release before a judge in New Jersey.
Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdullah, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, called the decision “an important step toward securing Mahmoud’s freedom,” but added, “we still have a long way to go.” She said, “With the birth of our son approaching, I will continue to fight with all my strength for Mahmoud’s freedom and his safe return home.”
Khalil’s Arrest Sparks Jurisdiction Dispute Amid Protest Crackdown
Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, was arrested by immigration authorities on March 8 inside his university-affiliated apartment, becoming the first person detained under President Trump’s crackdown on students participating in campus protests against the Israeli war on Gaza. The day after his arrest, Khalil was flown to an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana—a move his lawyers argue was intended to manipulate federal jurisdiction and prevent him from having contact with his wife and children.
The government’s request to transfer the case to Louisiana was based on what they described as a clerical error. Justice Department attorney August Flentje claimed that Khalil’s lawyers filed their petition in New York at 4:40 a.m. the day after his arrest, while he had already been transferred to a facility in New Jersey.
