Judge Blocks Detention of Activist Mahmoud Khalil,
Officials from former President Donald Trump’s administration claimed that Mahmoud Khalil was taken into custody due to his alleged support for Hamas—a charge his attorneys firmly deny.
In a court memo, Senator Marco Rubio argued that Khalil should face deportation, citing his supposed involvement in protests described as antisemitic and disruptive, which he claimed contributed to an unsafe atmosphere for Jewish students across U.S. campuses.
Mahmoud Khalil, a U.S. green card holder married to an American citizen, has been held at a detention center in Louisiana since March 8, when ICE agents arrested him in the lobby of his New York City apartment building.
In April, a Louisiana immigration judge ruled that Khalil could be deported, citing claims from Senator Marco Rubio that Khalil’s presence in the U.S. could negatively impact American foreign policy. A second ruling is still pending regarding additional allegations from the Department of Homeland Security, which accuse Khalil of omitting information on his green card application.
However, in a separate legal opinion, Judge Michael Farbiarz noted that individuals with lawful permanent resident status—such as Khalil—are “virtually never detained” while awaiting removal proceedings, even when facing accusations of misrepresentation.
Khalil’s legal team welcomed the court’s move to approve their request for a preliminary injunction, calling it a significant legal victory.
“We’re grateful the court acknowledged what has been clear all along—that the government’s retaliatory and unconstitutional detention and attempted deportation of Mahmoud, based on his Palestinian activism, has inflicted severe harm on him and his family,” said Baher Azmy, legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Dr. Noor Abdalla, Khalil’s wife, expressed hope that her husband would be released in time to spend his first Father’s Day at home with their newborn son, Deen.
“Mahmoud needs to come home now. He must be released immediately and reunited with me and our baby in New York,” she said in a statement. “Real justice would have meant that Mahmoud was never taken from us at all—that no Palestinian father, whether in New York or Gaza, would have to suffer the pain of separation behind prison walls.
Officials from the Trump administration claimed that Mahmoud Khalil was detained due to his alleged support for Hamas—an accusation strongly denied by his legal representatives.
In a court filing, Senator Marco Rubio argued that Khalil should be deported, citing his alleged involvement in what he described as “antisemitic demonstrations and disruptive conduct,” which, according to Rubio, contributes to an unsafe environment for Jewish students in American universities.
During a hearing last month in Louisiana, Khalil testified in support of his case for asylum and for withholding of removal to either Algeria or Syria, where he grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp.
He repeatedly stated that the Trump administration’s accusations that he’s a Hamas supporter makes him a target for Israel in any country he could be deported to. In Syria, he also said remnants of the Assad regime as well as military factions within the country could target him or that he could be used as a “bargaining chip” in negotiations between the new Syrian government and other nations including the U.S.
Ahead of the hearing, Khalil’s attorney submitted over 600 pages of documents, declarations and expert analyses supporting their claim that he is not antisemitic and that he could face torture and death if he were to be deported.