Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian recent graduate of Columbia University who had led negotiations on behalf of pro-Palestine protestors on the Columbia campus in spring 2024, was arrested by federal immigration enforcement. Khalil's student visa and green card establishing permanent residence had been revoked, even though permanent residents are entitled to due process before any revocation of their status. Khalil’s attorneys filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus and argued that ICE’s arrest and detention of Khalil on the basis of his speech and activism violated the Due Process Clause and the First Amendment.
On March 19, 2025, the case was transferred from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (1:25-cv-01935).
