aA federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining Mahmoud Khalil while he seeks review from the U.S. Supreme Court in his immigration case.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the order Tuesday, pausing an earlier decision that denied Khalil a rehearing in his detention case.
Supreme Court Appeal Ahead
Khalil, a legal permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen, was released from ICE custody in June 2025 after being arrested by federal agents in New York earlier that year.
The Trump administration argued Khalil could be detained based on a determination by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that his activism and speech could harm U.S. foreign policy interests.
Khalil became widely known as a negotiator during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
ACLU Responds to Ruling
Following the appeals court decision, the American Civil Liberties Union praised the ruling, saying detention would unfairly separate Khalil from his family and discourage political speech.
Attorney Brett Max Kaufman said the legal team plans to ask the Supreme Court to rule that the government cannot use detention or deportation threats to silence dissent.
Khalil has also filed a separate administrative complaint seeking $20 million in damages or a formal apology from the Trump administration over his arrest and detention.
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