Federal judge sides with anti-Israel ringleader Mahmoud Khalil, halts Trump administration's deportation bid

A national justice sided with Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel ringleader detained by the Trump administration, blocking the authorities from continuing to clasp him connected "foreign policy" grounds.

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz granted Wednesday a preliminary injunction preventing the authorities from detaining oregon removing Khalil, 30, based connected a memorandum issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The memo asserted that Khalil’s beingness "compromises a compelling overseas argumentation interest."

"The authorities cannot assertion an involvement successful enforcing what appears to beryllium an unconstitutional law," Farbiarz wrote, adding that the menace to escaped code raised superior First Amendment concerns.

The ruling is simply a important ineligible setback for the administration's efforts to deport Khalil, who has been held astatine a detention installation successful Louisiana pursuing his engagement successful anti-Israel demonstrations astatine Columbia University.

FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS ATTEMPTED DEPORTATION OF ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL MAY BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Columbia University pupil Mahmoud Khalil talks to the property during the property briefing organized by Pro-Palestinian protesters who acceptable up a caller encampment astatine Columbia University's Morningside Heights field connected Friday evening, successful New York City, United States connected June 01, 2024.  (Getty Images)

While the ruling grants a preliminary injunction against Khalil’s removal, it stops abbreviated of ordering his release.

The court’s determination volition stay connected clasp until Friday morning, giving the authorities clip to appeal.

READ THE RULING – APP USERS, CLICK HERE

ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL'S FREE SPEECH LAWSUIT AGAINST US GOVERNMENT MUST BE HEARD: JUDGE

Khalil, a greenish paper holder, was arrested aft starring pupil protests connected the Ivy League campus. He has argued that his escaped code rights were being "eroded" by the Trump administration.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorneys person argued that Khalil's escaped code claims were a "red herring," saying that the 30-year-old greenish paper holder lied connected his visa applications.

Khalil, they said, willfully failed to disclose his employment with the Syrian bureau successful the British Embassy successful Beirut erstwhile helium applied for imperishable U.S. residency. The bureau besides accused Khalil of failing to disclose his enactment with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and rank successful Columbia University Apartheid Divest.

Students and others show during a protestation extracurricular the gates to the Columbia University main field successful New York City connected April 21. (Reuters/Ryan Murphy)

Rubio has cited a proviso successful the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to warrant Khalil's removal from the U.S. The proviso allows the caput of authorities to deport noncitizens if the caput determines their beingness successful the U.S. "would person superior adverse overseas argumentation consequences."

Rubio accused Khalil of participating successful "antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile situation for Jewish students successful the United States."

"Condoning antisemitic behaviour and disruptive protests successful the United States would severely undermine that important overseas argumentation objective," Rubio wrote.

Khalil has Algerian citizenship done his mother, but was calved successful a Palestinian exile campy successful Syria.

Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters are gathered extracurricular of the USCIS San Francisco Field Office connected Sansome Street and marched successful streets to request merchandise of Palestinian activistic Mahmoud Khalil astatine Columbia University who is arrested by ICE and facing deportation, successful San Francisco, California, United States connected April 14, 2025.  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

As of Wednesday evening, nary further hearings are scheduled successful Khalil’s migration case. 

"We're conscionable waiting for the justice to contented her ruling," Johnny Sinodis, a spouse astatine Van Der Hout LLP who is representing Mahmoud Khalil successful migration proceedings, said during a property league pursuing the hearing. 

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Meanwhile, the national court's preliminary injunction volition forestall Khalil's removal until astatine slightest June 13.