A federal judge on Wednesday transferred the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate detained by the Trump administration this month, to New Jersey, where his lawyers will continue their efforts to seek his release.
Mr. Khalil, a leader of pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia’s campus, had been arrested and swiftly transferred to Louisiana. The Trump administration has sought to deport him, though he is a legal permanent resident who has not been accused of a crime.
The judge, Jesse Furman, ordered federal authorities not to remove Mr. Khalil from the country and on Wednesday, issued a new order, moving the case to New Jersey.
The White House has accused Mr. Khalil of spreading antisemitism and promoting literature associated with Hamas terrorists. Mr. Khalil’s lawyers deny that he has done so.
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, has cited a little-used law to justify Mr. Khalil’s detention. The measure says that Secretary Rubio can initiate deportation proceedings against any noncitizen whose presence in the United States he can reasonably deem a threat to the country’s foreign policy aims. Secretary Rubio has said that it is a policy of the United States to restrict the spread of antisemitism.
Mr. Khalil is married to an American citizen who lives in New York. Their first child is due in April.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.