Overview

• New Jersey District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Mahmoud Khalil's habeas petition can proceed, allowing him to challenge his detention and deportation on constitutional grounds.
• Mohsen Mahdawi, detained during a naturalization interview in Vermont, remains in custody as a Vermont judge scheduled a release or deportation hearing for early May.
• Both activists claim their detentions violate First Amendment protections, alleging retaliation for their lawful pro-Palestinian advocacy on U.S. campuses.
• The Trump administration cites foreign policy concerns to justify the deportation orders, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoking a rarely used immigration law from the Cold War era.
• Civil rights groups and university communities warn that these cases exemplify broader efforts to suppress campus dissent and erode constitutional protections.