Overview

• Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, remains detained in Louisiana under a rarely used immigration provision targeting foreign nationals deemed adverse to U.S. foreign policy.
• U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled Khalil must be allowed an in-person meeting with his wife and legal team by Thursday morning, though ICE has denied him physical contact with his newborn son, citing security concerns.
• Khalil’s attorneys are challenging the legality of his warrantless arrest and deportation proceedings, arguing that he was targeted for his constitutionally protected political views.
• The case has drawn widespread criticism from civil rights groups, including the ACLU, and sparked protests at Columbia University’s commencement ceremony, where attendees chanted for Khalil’s release.
• Khalil’s immigration hearing on May 22 could determine the next steps in his deportation case, which has become a focal point in the Trump administration’s crackdown on international student activism.