Recently submitted documents in a New Jersey court revealed that the federal government justified the warrantless arrest of Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil by expressing concerns that he might flee because he indicated he would leave the scene.
The court records were presented in response to attempts by Khalil’s lawyers to secure his release. Khalil has been detained in a facility in Jena, Louisiana, for six weeks.
A document filed in Newark federal court stated that Homeland Security agents surveilling Khalil on March 8 were informed that he could be deported due to the potential adverse foreign policy implications of his presence or activities in the United States.
According to the court filing, as Khalil was walking with his wife, a Homeland Security Investigations agent approached him and identified himself. When Khalil’s wife went to get documents proving his lawful residence status, the agent asked Khalil to cooperate in verifying his identity. However, Khalil refused to cooperate and stated he would leave the scene, prompting the supervisory agent to believe there was a risk of flight and necessitating his arrest.
The American Civil Liberties Union disputed the government’s claims, stating that the assertion Khalil was about to flee was contradicted by video evidence recorded by his wife and previous accounts of the arrest.
Khalil’s lawyer, Marc Van Der Hout, criticized the government for initially indicating there was an arrest warrant when there was none. He called for the termination of the proceedings based on this revelation.
Lawyer Amy Greer, who was present during Khalil’s arrest, mentioned that Khalil remained calm and compliant despite the agents’ failure to produce an arrest warrant.
Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and graduate student, was detained in March, marking the first arrest in President Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists.
Although the Trump administration has not accused Khalil of criminal behavior, it has argued for his expulsion from the country based on his beliefs.
An immigration judge in Louisiana recently ruled in favor of deportation, citing the potential foreign policy consequences of Khalil’s presence in the U.S.
