Mahmoud Khalil requests transfer from Louisiana jail after judge blocks his release

NEW YORK -- Attorneys for the Palestinian activistic Mahmoud Khalil requested that a national justice instantly merchandise him connected bail, oregon other transportation him to New Jersey to beryllium person to his family, arsenic the Trump medication seeks to support him successful custody successful Louisiana.

The latest request, filed Monday afternoon, follows a whirlwind week successful the ineligible lawsuit against Khalil, a lawful imperishable nonmigratory who has been detained since March connected allegations that his presence successful the state poses a threat to U.S. overseas policy.

While the judge, Michael Farbiarz, ruled that Khalil could not beryllium deported for that reason, helium declined Friday to assistance Khalil's release, pointing to a secondary rationale precocious by the government: that helium had omitted accusation connected his greenish paper exertion astir his enactment past and affiliations.

In their filing, lawyers for Khalil said the government’s determination to support him detained connected those grounds was “exceedingly uncommon and highly unusual,” reflecting the retaliatory quality of their case. Khalil has powerfully disputed that helium was not forthcoming connected the application.

If the merchandise is not granted, Khalil’s attorneys urged the justice to astatine slightest transportation him to a detention installation successful New Jersey truthful helium could beryllium person to his woman and newborn son.

Their petition cited an interior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement directive that says detained parents should beryllium held “as adjacent arsenic practicable" to their children.

Emailed inquiries to the Justice Department and ICE were not returned.

An ICE authoritative antecedently denied the transportation request. Last month, the authorities sought to block Khalil from holding his 1-month-old son, arguing that their archetypal gathering should beryllium “non-contact.”

Khalil, a erstwhile Columbia University postgraduate student, was detained astatine his Manhattan apartment connected March 8, becoming the archetypal people of President Donald Trump’s crackdown connected those who joined protests against the warfare successful Gaza.

He has not been accused of a crime. Rather, the Trump medication has argued that Khalil should beryllium expelled from the state for beliefs that could undermine their overseas argumentation goals astir warring anti-semitism.

The allegations that Khalil lied connected his greenish paper exertion were added aft his arrest, and person been powerfully contested by Khalil and his lawyers.

While the authorities claimed helium served arsenic an “officer” of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Khalil has denied that, claiming helium completed an internship astatine the bureau that was approved by Columbia University.

He said the authorities besides overstated the magnitude of clip helium had worked for the British Embassy.

In a erstwhile ruling, the national justice said it was “overwhelmingly unlikely” that the authorities would question to detain Khalil solely connected charges that helium misrepresented himself connected the application.

Still, the justice said Khalil’s lawyers had not presented capable grounds countering the claims and proving that helium was being held illegally.

“The authorities is making desperate, last-ditch attempts to support my hubby unjustly imprisoned,” said Noor Abdalla, Khalil’s wife, successful a connection Monday. “We are not acrophobic and volition not beryllium intimidated, due to the fact that we know, and the authorities knows, it is lone a substance of clip earlier Mahmoud is free."