New York — NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge has lifted travel restrictions on Mahmoud Khalil, allowing the Palestinian activist to speak at marches and other events across the United States while fighting his group. Deportation case Provided by the Trump administration.
Khalil who was He was released from immigration prison in Louisiana In June, he asked a federal judge to lift restrictions that limited his travel to New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Louisiana, and Michigan.
“He wants to travel for very important First Amendment reasons that are at the heart of this case,” his lawyer Alina Das said during a virtual hearing Thursday. “He wants to talk about issues of public concern.”
Government lawyer Aniello De Simone opposed the move, arguing that Khalil “did not provide sufficient reasons why he could not attend these and other events by telephone.”
On Thursday, Judge Michael Hammer agreed to allow Khalil to travel, noting that he is not considered a flight risk and did not violate any of the conditions of his release.
Hammer agreed to the government’s request that Khalil alert US Immigration and Customs Enforcement about his travel plans in advance.
A A prominent figure During Columbia University protests against the war in Gaza, Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on March 8, becoming the first campus activist to be arrested in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists. He is a recent graduate student at Columbia University and a permanent legal resident of the United States.
After he failed to deliver his first child, a separate federal judge released him from immigration detention in June.
Last month, an immigration judge in Louisiana to rule Khalil may be deported for not disclosing information related to his green card application. His lawyers are currently appealing this decision.