A federal judge in New Jersey rejected the Trump administration’s effort to transfer Mahmoud Khalil’s immigration detention case to Louisiana, where he is currently held. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled Tuesday that because Khalil was detained in New Jersey when his legal team filed the habeas petition, the case must remain there.
Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and legal permanent resident, was arrested in connection with recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The Trump administration alleges he engaged in “pro-Hamas” activity and invoked a rarely used law allowing deportation if a person poses adverse foreign policy consequences.
The administration has since applied this provision to other students, transferring Khalil to Louisiana and seeking to move his case to the conservative 5th Circuit. Farbiarz, however, maintained jurisdiction, writing that “the case as filed can go forward only here.”
Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, called the ruling an “important step” and described his arrest as politically motivated. The court will now consider whether an exception should allow appeal of the jurisdiction ruling.
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