Supreme Court Weighs Khalil’s Legal Battle Over Immigration Case
Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil seeks Supreme Court intervention in his immigration case, claiming government misuse of laws.
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Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil has turned to the U.S. Supreme Court in a bid to challenge a ruling that could allow the Trump administration to re-arrest him. In an X post, Khalil shared a petition filed by his legal team, asserting that he has ‘asked the Supreme Court to affirm that federal courts have the power to hear my case.’
Khalil, a Syrian-born green card holder of Palestinian descent, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March 2025 after leading anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. The Department of Homeland Security accused him of activities ‘aligned to Hamas,’ prompting Secretary of State Marco Rubio to declare that his presence would ‘compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.’
Despite these claims, a federal judge in New Jersey ordered Khalil’s release from ICE detention in June 2025. However, the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld an immigration judge’s order for his deportation in April. In May, a federal appeals court denied Khalil’s request for a rehearing, prompting him to call the ruling ‘biased and politically motivated.’
Khalil’s lawyers stated that he is still pursuing a separate case in federal court and cannot be detained or deported at this time. The Supreme Court is set to consider whether to hear the case during a closed-door meeting in the coming months, with Khalil’s team expressing hope that the high court will take the case this term.
Khalil argues that the government is attempting to use immigration laws to punish his speech, claiming that if the Trump administration can target pro-Palestine speech, any future administration could do the same. He warns that this sets a dangerous precedent, stating that ‘if the answer is yes, none of our speech is safe.’
Source: Daily Wire
