US Court Rules in Favor of Trump Against Pro-Palestine Activist Mahmoud Khalil

US Appeals Court Dismisses Petition for Palestinian Activist’s Release

A US appeals court panel has ruled to dismiss a petition by Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, challenging his detention and deportation. The two-to-one decision was handed down on Thursday, with the judges concluding that the federal court that ordered Khalil’s release last year lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

Khalil, who holds Algerian citizenship and is married to a US citizen, had been pursuing a graduate degree at Columbia University when he was detained by immigration authorities. He is one of dozens of foreign students targeted for deportation by the Trump administration due to their criticism of Israel.

The appeals panel sided with the government’s argument that only the immigration courts have jurisdiction over the matter, in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The court stated that Khalil has a meaningful forum in which to raise his claims later on through a petition for review of a final order of removal.

Khalil’s lawyers are likely to appeal the decision. The ruling potentially enables the re-arrest of Khalil, who missed the birth of his first child while he was detained last year. Federal courts have previously released several students based on habeas petitions, but it is unclear how this ruling will affect Khalil’s broader case and the ordeal of other students like him.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) governs immigration proceedings, and the appeals court has upheld its provisions in this case. The decision was made in accordance with established principles of habeas and immigration law.

Source: Al Jazeera