Hundreds of people have ralled outside a court in New York City to demand the release of Palestinian activist Mahmud Khalil, whose arrest in weekends feared a free speech in the United States and feared a rift.
Protesters gathered outside the federal court of Manhattan on Wednesday for the first formal hearing in Khalil’s case, as he faces potential exile for his activism.
“Now release Mahmud Khalil!” He chanting.
During a brief hearing, Khalil’s lawyer Ramji Kasem said that his client was allowed to call a call from his legal team from the detention center, where he was being held in the southern state of Louisiana.
But Kasem said that the call was cut ahead of time and was recorded and monitored by the government.
US District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that Khalil and his lawyers should have a phone call on Wednesday and on another Thursday, the Attorney-client was covered by privilege, which means that the government will not have access to their conversation.
Furman temporarily blocked Khalil’s exile on Monday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Khalil, a 29 -year -old Columbia University graduate and US permanent resident Khalil at its residence in the weekend.
ICE officials said that they have planned to cancel their green cards at the behest of the US State Department.
Khalil was at the forefront of the Palestinian performances at the University of Columbia last year, seeking to end the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip. He largely served as a spokesperson and negotiator.
But as he campaigned for a second term at the White House, US President Donald Trump promised to stop a deadly war on Gaza in October 2023 and stop the Palestinian performances that were bursting after deporting any foreign students involved.
On assuming office, he began to release executive action, indicating that he would fulfill his dangers.
Trump said at a White House, “For all the residents of Aliens, who are involved in the protests, we put you on notice: 2025 come, we will find you, and we will deport you,” Trump said in a White House. Fact sheet,
“I will quickly cancel the student visa of all Hamas sympathizers on college complexes, which have been affected by radicalism as before.”
Trump recently welcomed Khalil’s arrest, said on Monday that it was “the first of the coming”.
He accused students across the country of being engaged in “terrorist, terrorist, anti-Jewish, anti-American activity” that their administration would not “tolerate”.
But experts say that Khalil’s detention highlights a widespread attack on Pro-Filistini activism in America, as well as a worrying sign for freedom and dissatisfaction of expression under Trump administration.
Nader Hashmi, a professor at the University of Georgatown, told Al Jazeera this week, “In fact, whatever is happening is that Palestinian is an attempt to silence all public expressions of right -wing human rights to the right -wing supporters of Israel for human rights.”
Valid question
Legal Aadhaar for Khalil’s custody is also said in question.
White House press secretary Karolin Lewit told reporters on Tuesday that state secretary Marco Rubio could cancel the green card of Khalil if Rubio determined that its presence in the US is contrary to the interests of the country’s national security and foreign policy.
The Washington Post on Wednesday described a government document, giving details of civil allegations, stating that Rubio’s determination is “the only justification for the Trump administration” to try to deport it.
Separately, Rubio told reporters that Khalil’s case is “not about free speech”.
Top American diplomat told reporters at Ireland’s Shannon Airport during a fuel stop after a visit to Saudi Arabia, “It is about those who do not have the right to start in the United States.”
“Nobody has the right to student visa. No one has the right to a green card, by the way, “Rubio said.
But speaking outside the Manhattan court, Khalil’s lawyer Kasem told reporters that there is rarely a legal provision that the Trump administration seems to be to invite the Trump administration that it was not to silence the dissatisfaction.
“It is not used to silence the pro-P-Filistini speech or any other speech, which the government does not like,” Kasem said.
Khalil’s lawyers also asked Furman – the judge oversee the case – to order his customer to return to New York from Louisiana.
Reporting from New York on Wednesday afternoon, Kristeon Salomomi of Al Jazeera said that Khalil’s legal team argued that he should return to the city as he was far away from his lawyers and pregnant wife.
“And they also allege that they are only targeted due to their activism in support of Palestinian rights and called for ending the massacre in Gaza,” said Salaomomi.
At the hearing, government lawyer Brandon Waterman said that he plans to challenge the rights of Furman to decide the case.
Waterman said Khalil’s petition should have been filed in Louisiana or New Jersey, where he was initially brought after his arrest.
Furman called the two sides to submit a joint letter on Friday, calling the legal issues “important and weighty”, when they propose to present written arguments on the legal issues raised by Khalil’s detention.
