Join the Center for Constitutional Rights and our co-counsel, CLEAR, the ACLU, ACLU of New Jersey, NYCLU, Van Der Hout LLP, and Dratel + Lewis for a hearing in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey in Newark. The case, Khalil v. Trump, was brought on behalf of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate student who was detained in retaliation for advocating for Palestinian human rights. At this hearing, his legal team will argue that his challenge to his unlawful detention and attempted deportation by ICE should remain in New Jersey. This hearing comes after a judge in the Southern District of New York ruled that the case should be heard in New Jersey. Rather than accept the ruling, the Trump administration re-filed their motion to transfer the case to Louisiana. 

Baher Azmy, Center for Constitutional Rights Legal Director, will be in court arguing that New Jersey is the proper venue for Mahmoud’s case to be heard. 

There will also be a separate rally held by Mahmoud’s supporters nearby at 50 Walnut St., Newark, NJ 07102.

Case Background: The Trump administration illegally detained Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and recent graduate student at Columbia University, in direct retaliation for his advocacy in support of Palestinian rights. ICE then quickly moved him from New York to New Jersey for several hours before putting him on a plane and relocating him to a detention facility in rural Louisiana without any notice to his wife, who is eight-months pregnant, or legal team. Mahmoud was the first of several lawful permanent residents to be illegally detained because of their protected speech in support of Palestinian rights. More information on the case can be found here.