A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student and legal US resident, who was transferred to a Louisiana detention facility following his arrest by immigration officials.

The case has garnered intense media scrutiny due to Khalil’s legal immigration status in the US, and his arrest in the absence of criminal charges. His prominent role in last year’s pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University has caused critics across the political spectrum to question the free speech implications of his potential deportation.

US District Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District of New York scheduled an emergency conference for March 12 and halted the deportation order, reasoning: “to preserve the Court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, [Khalil] shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise.”

The order came one day after Khalil’s attorneys filed an emergency motion asking the court to order immigration authorities to return him to New York from Louisiana, where he was transferred following his arrest on March 8.

According to court documents, Khalil was arrested by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents at his Columbia University residential building. Initially, according to Khalil’s legal team, he was told he was being arrested because his student visa had been revoked by the US State Department. Despite providing proof of his permanent resident status, the agents detained him, claiming his green card had also been revoked by the US State Department.

A motion filed by Khalil’s attorney emphasizes the legal irregularity of the latter claim:

Counsel is unaware of any provision in law that would allow the Department of State to rescind or revoke lawful permanent resident status granted by US Citizenship & Immigration Services.

Hours after Khalil’s attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transferred him to a detention facility in Louisiana, approximately 1,000 miles away from his pregnant US citizen wife and legal counsel.

A motion filed by Khalil’s attorneys argues that the transfer appears “retaliatory” and requests his return under the All Writs Act to preserve jurisdiction over his pending habeas petition. The All Writs Act authorizes US courts to issue any writs or orders deemed “necessary or appropriate” to preserve their jurisdiction and ensure the proper administration of justice.

The arrest comes amid a radical shakeup of national policies that has emerged since Donald Trump returned to the White House as the 47th US President in January.

To fulfill his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration, Trump has issued a series of orders aimed at deporting individuals residing illegally in the US. Initially, the administration was publicly tasked with focusing on individuals with criminal records, but immigration authorities have reportedly expanded their scope in recent weeks.

The Trump administration has also vowed to combat antisemitism on college campuses. In 2024, with Israel and Hamas engaged in a profoundly destructive warfare in the Gaza Strip, pro-Palestine protests swept across US college campuses, with students establishing encampments, staging building occupations, and organizing demonstrations to demand their universities divest from companies with ties to Israel over its military actions in Gaza. The protests resulted in significant tensions, contentious debates about free speech and academic freedom, and reports of abuses against Jewish and Muslim students across US college campuses. The ensuing controversy caused several prominent university presidents to resign their positions.

In January, Trump vowed in an executive order that: “Immediate action [would] be taken by the Department of Justice to protect law and order, quell pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation, and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities.”

Citing the campus pro-Palestine protests last week, the Trump administration cancelled some $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. Khalil’s arrest occurred the following day.

Trump posted on his social media outlet Truth Social on Monday that Khalil’s arrest was the “first…of many to come,” adding: “We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it.”

On Tuesday, a group of 14 US lawmakers signed a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, demanding Khalil’s immediate release. The letter stated:

Khalil has not been charged or convicted of any crime. As the Trump administration proudly admits, he was targeted solely for his activism… This is an attempt to criminalize political protest and is a direct assault on the freedom of speech of everyone in this country.