A US federal appeals court has rejected a lower court order to release Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from detention, raising concerns among his supporters about the government's ability to re-detain him for deportation.
Khalil is currently fighting two separate legal battles: one in federal court and another in immigration court. Despite being released from detention in June after New Jersey District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that the Trump administration’s detention of Khalil was likely illegal, the appeals court overturned this ruling in a split decision.
The decision does not immediately take effect but will do so in 45 days, exposing Khalil to potential re-detention. However, his legal team emphasizes that any further detention would be contingent on an appeal process being completed.
Khalil had been detained at his New York apartment in March and flown to a Louisiana detention center for three months while the government sought to deport him. His case is part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists who have been detained by the Trump administration on suspicion of ties to Hamas, a militant group.
Critics, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, are condemning the ruling as an attack on free speech and constitutional rights. Khalil himself has reaffirmed his commitment to activism for Palestinian rights and vows to continue fighting through "every legal avenue."
The decision highlights the challenges faced by pro-Palestinian activists in the United States, who often find themselves caught between the government's crackdown on perceived extremism and the need to exercise their First Amendment rights.
Khalil is currently fighting two separate legal battles: one in federal court and another in immigration court. Despite being released from detention in June after New Jersey District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that the Trump administration’s detention of Khalil was likely illegal, the appeals court overturned this ruling in a split decision.
The decision does not immediately take effect but will do so in 45 days, exposing Khalil to potential re-detention. However, his legal team emphasizes that any further detention would be contingent on an appeal process being completed.
Khalil had been detained at his New York apartment in March and flown to a Louisiana detention center for three months while the government sought to deport him. His case is part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists who have been detained by the Trump administration on suspicion of ties to Hamas, a militant group.
Critics, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, are condemning the ruling as an attack on free speech and constitutional rights. Khalil himself has reaffirmed his commitment to activism for Palestinian rights and vows to continue fighting through "every legal avenue."
The decision highlights the challenges faced by pro-Palestinian activists in the United States, who often find themselves caught between the government's crackdown on perceived extremism and the need to exercise their First Amendment rights.
so this is just peachy... another gov't move to silence ppl speaking out about something that doesn't align with their agenda 
. i mean, what's next? detaining ppl for having strong opinions on social media? 
newsflash: activism isn't a crime, no matter how inconvenient it may be for the powers that be 
. khalil's case is just another example of this 
. can't wait to see how this all plays out... i'll be over here, enjoying my freedom of speech 
a person just wants to stand up for what they believe in and now they're facing detention because of it 
the appeals court decision is like, a huge middle finger to free speech and constitutional rights 
imo we need to be aware of how our government can infringe on our civil liberties and make sure we have a system in place that protects us from these kind of attacks 
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the fact that he's been detained multiple times already is just mind-blowing...it's like, how many more times can one person be detained before they have to actually face justice? 
. This decision will likely embolden those in power to continue targeting marginalized communities and stifle debate on sensitive topics 
. We need to remain vigilant and ensure that our constitutional rights are not eroded under the guise of "national security".
. It's like, one day he's free, the next he's back in detention just waiting to be deported. What even is the point of having a court system if it's gonna just follow the government's lead without questioning anything? 
. Khalil needs to be able to advocate for himself and his cause without fear of being re-detained.
45 days till he's back in a detention center? That's not fair! 
his team's saying the appeal process will protect him, but what if the gov't tries to speed things up? 
, this ruling is like, totally messed up 
this is getting so complicated for people like mahmoud khalil who just wanna speak out about whats going on... Interesting how one court decision can send someone back into detention after they've already been released 
. Fingers crossed he gets to continue fighting for Palestinian rights without being silenced or deported 
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. We need to keep an eye on this and hold our leaders accountable 
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. We need to protect our constitutional rights and ensure that everyone can express themselves without fear of retribution 
. Let's hope Khalil's team can appeal the decision and keep him safe until then 
, but what about freedom of speech and all that jazz? shouldn't we be able to express ourselves without being silenced or detained? Khalil's team is right, though - if he gets re-detained, there'll be an appeal process... fingers crossed it goes through 
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