Overview

• Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and permanent U.S. resident, was denied temporary release by ICE to attend the birth of his first child in New York on April 21.
• ICE rejected the furlough request within an hour, despite offers of GPS monitoring and other conditions, citing a review of Khalil’s case.
• Khalil has been detained since March 8 under a Cold War-era immigration law invoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claims Khalil’s activism poses foreign policy risks.
• A Louisiana immigration judge ruled earlier this month that Khalil can be deported, a decision his legal team is appealing to the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal courts.
• The case has drawn national attention, highlighting concerns over free speech, due process, and the humanitarian impact of immigration enforcement on families.