Appeals court ruling opens possibility of rearrest for pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

Yahoo
Yahoo
5h ago
A federal appeals court ruled that a district judge lacked jurisdiction to order the release of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, opening the door to his potential rearrest as the Trump administration pursues deportation.
Appeals court ruling opens possibility of rearrest for pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil
A What happened
A 2-1 panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered dismissal of Mahmoud Khalil’s lawsuit challenging his initial immigration detention, saying the district court was not the proper forum under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The ruling opens the door to Khalil being rearrested, though it does not take immediate effect. Khalil was arrested by immigration agents on March 8 in the lobby of his university residence in Manhattan and was released in June after a New Jersey federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to free him. An immigration judge ordered Khalil deported in September to Algeria or Syria over claims he omitted information from his green card application, and his lawyers said they will appeal that order.

Key insights

  • 1

    Court said immigration proceedings are the proper channel for Khalil’s claims: The majority said the Immigration and Nationality Act requires Khalil’s claims to be raised through review of a final removal order rather than in district court.

  • 2

    Dissent focused on First Amendment review and detention harms: Judge Arianna Freeman said Khalil’s claims involve fundamental constitutional rights and wrote that he alleged and proved irreparable injuries during detention.

  • 3

    Ruling could limit a commonly used legal avenue: The ruling said to be capable of closing off a legal avenue many have used to challenge deportation orders if it stands.

Takeaways

The appeals court decision dismissing Mahmoud Khalil’s district-court challenge leaves his case to proceed through immigration review channels and creates a path for possible rearrest while appeals continue.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation Human Rights Migration Law & Public Safety Courts

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