Mahmoud Khalil can freely travel within US, federal judge rules

A federal judge has lifted travel restrictions within the US for Mahmoud Khalil, allowing the Palestinian activist to speak at rallies and other events across the country while he fights the Trump administration’s efforts to deport him.

Khalil, who was freed from a Louisiana immigration jail in June after being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) amid student and activist roundups, had asked a federal magistrate judge to lift the restrictions that had limited his travel to New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Louisiana and Michigan.

At a virtual hearing on Thursday, Alina Das, a lawyer for the former Columbia University graduate student who was ordered deported from the US last month, said her client “wants to travel for the very significant first amendment reasons that are at the bottom of this case”.

“He wants to speak to issues of public concern,” Das added, citing the constitutional right to free speech.

But Aniello DeSimone, a lawyer for the government, which opposes the move, said that Khalil “has not provided enough of a reason why he couldn’t attend these and other events telephonically”.

Magistrate judge Michael Hammer agreed to allow Khalil to travel, saying that he was not considered a flight risk and had not violated any of his release conditions.

Hammer agreed with the government that Khalil is required to alert Ice about his travel plans.

Khalil, who is a legal US permanent resident, or green card holder, was arrested by Ice officers on 8 March following his participation in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, the Ivy League elite university in New York.

The Trump administration claims it had the authority to detain and deport Khalil, arguing that his presence in the US is a threat to national security. A second allegation is that he omitted details about his work history and membership in organizations on his application for a green card.

Following his release, Khalil said he planned to continue his criticism of the university for what activists consider Columbia’s capitulation to Trump administration demands to curb antisemitic speech and any threats against Jewish students on campus.