A US judge has eased movement limitations within the United States for Mahmoud Khalil, allowing him to speak at gatherings and other engagements across the country while he fights attempts to deport him.
Khalil, who was released from a US immigration jail in the summer after being detained by federal agents amid wider enforcement actions, had requested a federal magistrate judge to remove the restrictions that had confined his travel to specific locations.
At a virtual hearing, his attorney stated that her the activist “desires to travel for the very important first amendment reasons that are at the bottom of this matter.”
“He seeks to speak issues of public interest,” the attorney noted, referencing the legal right to free speech.
Mahmoud Khalil on detention, freedom and federal custody: ‘It was a clear act of injustice’
However, the federal attorney, who opposed the request, stated that Khalil “has not offered enough of a justification why he couldn’t attend these and other events telephonically.”
The judge Michael Hammer agreed to allow Khalil to travel, stating that he was not considered a risk of fleeing and had not violated any of his bail terms.
The magistrate agreed with the prosecution that Khalil is required to alert federal authorities about his itinerary.
Khalil, who is a legal green card holder, was detained by immigration agents in March following his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, an prestigious school in New York.
The government asserts it had the power to detain and deport Khalil, arguing that his presence in the US is a risk to national security. A further claim is that he omitted details about his employment background and membership in organizations on his petition for a permanent residency.
Following his freedom, Khalil said he planned to persist in his criticism of the institution for what activists view as its acquiescence to government demands to curb certain speech and address threats against students on campus.
