Judge says US effort to deport Mahmoud Khalil on foreign policy grounds is likely unconstitutional
Source: Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge said the Trump administration’s effort to deport Mahmoud Khalil because of his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University likely violates the Constitution.
In a lengthy order issued Wednesday, Judge Michael Farbiarz wrote the government’s primary justification for removing Khalil — that his beliefs may pose a threat to U.S. foreign policy — could open the door to vague and arbitrary enforcement.
Still, Farbiarz stopped short of ordering Khalil released from a Louisiana jail, finding his attorneys had not sufficiently responded to another charge brought by the government: that Khalil did not properly disclose certain personal details in his permanent residency application.
The judge said he would review additional evidence in the coming days as he continues to consider Khalil’s request for release.
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By JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Updated 6:58 PM EDT, May 28, 2025
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mahmoud-khalil-doj-dhs-columbia-university-f802564cf42c31b11fec99730d53ee5b