Judge Declines to Order Release of Columbia Student Mahmoud Khalil

The Trump administration told a judge on June 13 that it would detain Khalil on a legal ground not blocked by the judge’s previous order.

Mahmoud Khalil speaks to members of media about the Revolt for Rafah encampment at Columbia University during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza, in New York City on June 1, 2024. Jeenah Moon/Reuters

A federal judge has denied Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil’s request for an order forcing the Trump administration to release him from custody.

The decision from District Judge Michael Farbiarz came after Justice Department attorneys informed him that it would continue detaining Khalil on a different legal ground than what Farbiarz had addressed in a prior order.