Khalil Permitted to Hold His Newborn Amid Deportation Case

A detained Palestinian activist, Mahmoud Khalil, was permitted to hold his one-month-old son for the first time. This development follows earlier reports that Khalil was separated from his child by a plexiglass barrier, a decision made by the Trump administration that was later blocked by a federal judge. According to reliable sources, this encounter occurred ahead of an immigration hearing scheduled for Khalil, who has been detained in a Louisiana jail since March 8th.

The significance becomes clear when we consider that Khalil, a legal permanent resident and Columbia University graduate, was the first individual arrested under President Trump’s promised crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters. He remains in custody as his case proceeds through immigration and federal court. While federal authorities have not accused Khalil of a crime, they have sought his deportation based on the assertion that his prominent role in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza may have undermined U.S. foreign policy interests.

Khalil’s request to attend his son’s birth on April 21 was denied by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The question of whether Khalil would be allowed to hold his newborn sparked days of legal battles, with Khalil’s attorneys suggesting that the government is subjecting him to political retaliation.

Reports from New Jersey indicate that Michael Farbiarz, a federal judge, intervened on Wednesday night, allowing the meeting between Khalil and his son to proceed on Thursday morning. The judge’s order was issued despite federal officials’ opposition to a “contact visit” between Khalil, his wife, Noor Abdalla, and their son Deen. Instead, they suggested a “non-contact” visit, where Khalil would be separated from his wife and son by a plastic divider.

Farbiarz is currently considering Khalil’s petition for release as he appeals a Louisiana immigration judge’s ruling that he can be deported. Khalil appeared before the immigration judge, Jamee Comans, on Thursday, as his attorneys presented testimony about the risks he would face if deported to Syria, where he grew up in a refugee camp, or Algeria, where he maintains citizenship through a distant relative.

Khalil’s attorneys submitted testimony from Columbia University personnel attesting to Khalil’s character. No ruling regarding the appeal was made on Thursday, with Comans giving lawyers until June 2 to submit written closing arguments.

Reports indicate that Columbia’s interim president, Claire Shipman, acknowledged Mahmoud’s absence from Wednesday’s commencement ceremony and noted that many students were “mourning” his inability to attend. This raises important questions about the future of Khalil’s case and his ability to stay in the country that he has called home for years.

The facts, as we now know them, tell a tale of a man caught in a legal battle, his fate intertwined with U.S. immigration policies and the political climate surrounding Palestinian activism.