Court Blocks Attempt to Relocate Student's Hearing
(MENAFN) A federal court has rejected the Trump administration's request to shift the location of a legal hearing involving a Columbia University student who was apprehended for taking part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
The ruling maintains that the proceedings regarding Mahmoud Khalil's detention must remain in New Jersey, where he was initially held.
Mahmoud Khalil, aged 30, was detained on March 8 by officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to his participation in student-led protests.
At the time of his arrest, Khalil was reportedly denied access to legal representation and was not granted a formal hearing, sparking concerns about due process violations.
In April, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey determined that the appropriate location for Khalil’s habeas corpus petition was indeed New Jersey, as he was confined in that state when the petition was filed.
This decision came despite the fact that ICE later transferred Khalil to Louisiana, over 1,400 miles away, following what the court deemed an unlawful detention.
The federal government contended that the hearing should occur in Louisiana, citing Khalil’s current place of detention.
They sought to overturn the district court’s decision, but the Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request and confirmed that the case would proceed in New Jersey.
"It is the fundamental job of the judiciary to stand up to this kind of government manipulation of our basic rights," stated Brett Max Kaufman, a senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project.
The case has drawn attention to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) actions under the Trump administration.
According to the ACLU, Khalil’s detention was a retaliatory move tied to his advocacy for Palestinian rights at Columbia University in New York City.
After his arrest, DHS relocated him to a detention center in Louisiana, significantly distancing him from his relatives and legal support network.
The separation also caused Khalil to miss the birth of his first child, highlighting the personal toll of his prolonged confinement.
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