Columbia University Student Mahmoud Khalil Challenges Detention and Deportation
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student, is challenging the U.S. government’s decision to deport him following his protests against Israel. The government cited a bedbug infestation for moving him to a Louisiana detention facility, a claim Khalil disputes. His legal team argues for his bail and highlights the potential violation of First Amendment rights in their case against deportation.
A Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil, is engaged in a legal dispute with the federal government regarding his detention and potential deportation due to his involvement in campus protests against Israel. The Trump administration has relocated him from his original arrest site in New York to an immigration facility in Louisiana, citing a bedbug infestation as the reason for this transfer. However, Khalil contends that there was no discussion of such an issue, expressing concerns about his immediate deportation.
In a declaration submitted to the Manhattan federal court, Khalil noted his experience at the Elizabeth, New Jersey detention center, stating, “I did not hear anyone mention bedbugs.” Lawyers from the Justice Department have attributed his transfer to overcrowding in the Northeast’s immigration facilities. Khalil’s legal representatives are arguing for his release while the court examines the constitutionality of his arrest under the First Amendment.
The legal team is also seeking a broader court order to prevent the arrest and deportation of non-citizens engaged in protected expressive activities in support of Palestinian rights or critical of Israel. Khalil recounted his apprehension during transport, recalling he was told he was being taken to JFK Airport, leading him to fear deportation.
His declaration described the conditions in the Elizabeth facility, indicating that he and others had to sleep on the ground without proper bedding. The Justice Department’s recent court filings detailed Khalil’s arrest and subsequent transfers. They claimed that he was held at Elizabeth until his flight to Louisiana due to the bedbug issue, stating he was present at the facility from 2:20 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. before his transfer.
Khalil’s lawyers contest the government’s reasoning, asserting that the decision to transfer him was not genuine and motivated by improper intentions. They point out that other individuals were processed for detention at the Elizabeth facility during Khalil’s stay, undermining the government’s bedbug claim.
The ongoing legal battle between Mahmoud Khalil and the U.S. government revolves around the circumstances of his detention following protests against Israel. With claims of inadequate conditions and questionable motives behind his transfer, Khalil’s case raises important issues regarding First Amendment rights. As the case unfolds, the legal arguments will focus on due process for non-citizens involved in expressive activities, a matter critical to civil liberties in the United States.
Original Source: apnews.com
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