The Trump administration has filed new allegations against Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student detained due to his pro-Palestinian activism on campus. The government claims that Khalil failed to disclose certain memberships and employment in his permanent residency application, suggesting fraudulent misrepresentation. Despite Khalil’s claims of First Amendment violations, the administration argues that misrepresentations do not fall under free speech protections. Khalil’s attorney believes the new allegations are a desperate attempt by the government to justify his removal, which they insist is unconstitutional punishment for his constitutionally protected speech. Khalil was initially arrested for activities allegedly supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, on campus, although his attorneys deny these claims and attribute his arrest to his pro-Palestinian activism. A habeas petition filed by Khalil contesting his detention highlighted violations of his due process and First Amendment rights, which a New York judge ruled should be reviewed carefully. The Trump administration now claims that New Jersey, where Khalil is currently detained, lacks jurisdiction to hear the case, further emphasizing their original argument for his arrest based on alleged lack of disclosures. Khalil does not face any publicly known criminal charges and is also involved in a separate deportation case in Louisiana, where his attorney vows to fight the government’s actions strongly. Columbia University has become a center of student protests in support of the Palestinian cause following the Israel-Hamas war, with student and faculty groups organizing demonstrations demanding protection for international student workers and reinstatement of students disciplined for pro-Palestine activism.
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