Overview

• A New Jersey judge ordered Khalil’s release on June 20 after finding his months-long ICE detention likely violated due process and First Amendment rights.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked Section 1227 in a memo characterizing Khalil’s participation in Columbia University protests as a threat to U.S. foreign policy.
• The administration has appealed the release order and continues deportation proceedings, with final decisions expected to take months or years.
• Advocacy groups say Khalil’s case illustrates an effort to intimidate pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses and chill free speech.
• Legal experts warn that the government’s broad national security criteria for deporting foreign students could deter lawful political expression.