A federal appeals court has reversed a lower court ruling that freed Palestinian rights activist Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, marking a significant victory for the Trump Administration, which has sought to deport him.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in a Jan. 15 opinion, vacated a previous order that secured Khalil’s release from detention and temporarily blocked his removal from the United States.
The ruling effectively means that the government is now free to detain Khalil again.
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz of New Jersey had previously ordered his release, determining he was not a flight risk and that his detention was likely unconstitutional. The federal government argued that the court lacked jurisdiction.
The government sought his removal under a rarely used "foreign policy ground," with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting that Khalil’s advocacy posed a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests.
