Additional Coverage:
- Detained Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil appears in court as deportation threat intensifies (irishstar.com)
Columbia University student and activist Mahmoud Khalil, a legal US resident, appeared in immigration court on Friday. Currently held in a Louisiana detention center, Khalil’s brief appearance focused solely on scheduling matters. His lawyer participated remotely via video link.
The sparsely attended hearing took place in a windowless courtroom within the isolated ICE facility, located near Jena, Louisiana. Just 13 people were present, including the judge, legal counsel, court personnel, two journalists, and four other observers. Khalil offered a smile to observers as he entered the room.
Khalil’s attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, explained to the judge that he had just recently taken on Khalil’s case. He requested additional time to meet with his client, review the case files, and conduct a thorough investigation. The judge scheduled a more comprehensive hearing for April 8th.
Meanwhile, Khalil’s legal team is fighting his detention and potential deportation in federal court. Adding to the urgency of the situation, Khalil’s wife, a US citizen, is expecting their first child. A New York federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Khalil has the right to challenge his detainment, but the case must be heard in a New Jersey federal court.
Khalil, a 30-year-old with no criminal record, was detained by immigration officials on March 8th amidst the Biden administration’s crackdown on what it deems antisemitic and “anti-American” campus protests. Last year, Khalil served as a spokesperson and negotiator for pro-Palestinian activists protesting Israeli military actions in Gaza.
The protests at Columbia have sparked a complex debate about free speech and antisemitism. While some protesters, including Jewish individuals, maintain that criticizing Israeli military policy and advocating for Palestinian rights is not inherently antisemitic, some Jewish students say the protests created a hostile environment on campus. A Columbia University task force recently identified “serious and pervasive” issues with antisemitism at the institution.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alleges that Khalil led disruptive protests targeting Jewish students and disseminated pro-Hamas propaganda. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US, governs Gaza and claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel in October 2023.
The US government is seeking Khalil’s extradition under a rarely used law designed to remove non-citizens who pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”