Back

Judge orders #MahmoudKhalil's case transferred from #Louisiana to #NewJersey

March 19, 2025

Excerpt: "Rejecting the administration's bid on Wednesday, District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that, since the district of New Jersey was 'the one and only district in which Khalil could have filed his petition" seeking his release from detention, the case must be transferred there rather than Louisiana.

"The judge also upheld his 10 March order barring Mr Khalil's deportation while the case continues, but did not rule on his lawyers' request for immediate release.

"The US justice department has not commented on the ruling.

"Mr Khalil's lawyer Samah Sisay said in a statement on Wednesday that the government moved him to Louisiana to avoid having the case heard in New York or New Jersey.

"'Mr Khalil should be free and home with his wife awaiting the birth of their first child, and we will continue to do everything possible to make that happen,' Ms Sisay told Reuters.

"Mr Khalil's wife, who is a US citizen, is eight months pregnant.

"His lawyers have argued that he was exercising #FreeSpeech rights to demonstrate in support of #Palestinians in #Gaza and against US support for #Israel. They accused the government of 'open #repression of student #activism and #Politicalspeech'.

"Trump has previously stated that foreign students found to be 'terrorist sympathisers' would face deportation.

"Mr Khalil has not been charged with any crime.

"On Wednesday, Trump deputy chief of staff #StephenMiller said the administration believes "that any foreign nationals visiting our country are prohibited from supporting any designated terrorist organization" such as Hamas."

Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwygldgjkgyo
#FreeMahmoudKhalil #FreeMahmoud #SilencingDissent #Authoritarianism #ResistFascism #ResistAuthoritarianism