American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New York calls Khalil's arrest an attack on freedom of speech, saying that punishing or deporting someone based on their political stance is unconstitutional
NEW YORK: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-March 11th, 2025) An American judge on Tuesday stayed deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from the United States.
Khalil was arrested on Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on charges of supporting Hamas.
Judge Jesse M. Furman ruled that Khalil should be allowed to remain in the US in order to maintain the court's jurisdiction while a hearing on his detention and possible deportation would take place on Wednesday in the federal court in New York.
Following Mahmoud Khalil's arrest, the hundreds of people protested in New York for his release.
During the demonstration at Federal Plaza, the protesters chanted “Free, Free Palestine” and criticized the US government's actions targeting Palestinian supporters under political pressure.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New York called Khalil's arrest an attack on freedom of speech, stating that punishing or deporting someone based on their political stance is unconstitutional.
US officials argued that under President Donald Trump's executive order, the visas and green cards of individuals supporting Hamas can be revoked. Following this decision, Senator Marco Rubio announced that the strict actions would be taken against Hamas supporters in the US.
Khalil's lawyer Amy Greer stated that his arrest was a result of political pressure and filed a petition for his immediate release. Khalil's wife, who is eight months pregnant, went to visit him but was first sent to a detention center in New Jersey and then to an immigration detention center in Louisiana, which led to strong reactions from their family and supporters.
Khalil, a former student at Columbia University, is raising questions about the crackdown on activists working for Palestinian rights in the US.
Many experts believe that this arrest is an attempt to restrict political freedoms and is part of the US government's strategy to suppress Palestinian solidarity movements.
