Dr. Noor Abdalla, wife of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder who remains in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana after being detained in early March for his involvement in the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, holds up a “Release Mahmoud Khalil Now” protest sticker while posing for a portrait in New York City, U.S., May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot detain or deport a Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s determination that his presence compromised the nation's foreign policy interests, according to Politico's Kyle Cheney.
U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz of the District of New Jersey on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from detaining or deporting Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, over Rubio's reasoning.
Farbiarz found that Khalil is likely to win his case and that the government's legal justification appears flawed. It also found he would suffer irreparable harm, as Khalil lost a job and claims his career in diplomacy has been derailed.
"To sum up: The Respondents have not contested the evidence put forward by the Petitioner, and in light of that the Court finds as a matter of fact that the Petitioner’s career and reputation are being damaged and his speech is being chilled --- and this adds up to irreparable harm," the judge said.
Elsewhere, Farbiarz said the public has "no interest in the enforcement of what is very likely an unconstitutional statute.”
However, he noted, “There is a strong public interest in upholding the requirements of the First Amendment.”