Overview
- Khalil’s legal team filed a renewed motion on June 17 seeking bail or transfer from the Jena, Louisiana, facility to Elizabeth, New Jersey, under ICE’s family-proximity policy
- Judge Michael Farbiarz had blocked deportation on foreign policy grounds but declined to release Khalil over alleged omissions in his green card application
- DOJ attorneys told the court that Congress granted the executive branch broad discretion to detain noncitizens and that judicial intervention is barred
- Government filings highlighted that the Elizabeth detention center is over capacity by 51 detainees, arguing logistical constraints prevent a transfer
- Advocates including the ACLU contend that rare misrepresentation charges and reliance on unverified tabloid reports amount to unconstitutional retaliation for Khalil’s pro-Palestinian activism