A US Federal Appeals Court has dealt a major blow to Mahmoud Khalil's fight against deportation. In a 2-1 decision, the Third Circuit court overturned an injunction blocking his removal from the country, effectively putting him at risk of being rearrested as he awaits the outcome of his case.
Khalil, an Algerian national and US lawful permanent resident, had been arrested in March last year on allegations stemming from his pro-Palestinian activism. His presence, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, posed a threat to US foreign policy interests. The charges against him include not only violating immigration regulations but also a separate count of fraud for allegedly failing to disclose past employment and affiliations.
Khalil's activism had drawn attention due to his vocal criticism of Israel's military operations in Gaza, describing them as genocide. As the president of Columbia University's Palestinian Student Society, he had been involved in organizing events promoting Palestinian causes. This has led some to question whether Khalil's rights under the First Amendment have been compromised.
In a partial dissent, Judge Arianna Freeman argued that because Khalil's claims were tied to his First Amendment freedoms, which cannot be easily compensated for later, the lower court did indeed have jurisdiction over the case. She stressed that even brief losses of these freedoms constitute irreparable harm.
Khalil, an Algerian national and US lawful permanent resident, had been arrested in March last year on allegations stemming from his pro-Palestinian activism. His presence, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, posed a threat to US foreign policy interests. The charges against him include not only violating immigration regulations but also a separate count of fraud for allegedly failing to disclose past employment and affiliations.
Khalil's activism had drawn attention due to his vocal criticism of Israel's military operations in Gaza, describing them as genocide. As the president of Columbia University's Palestinian Student Society, he had been involved in organizing events promoting Palestinian causes. This has led some to question whether Khalil's rights under the First Amendment have been compromised.
In a partial dissent, Judge Arianna Freeman argued that because Khalil's claims were tied to his First Amendment freedoms, which cannot be easily compensated for later, the lower court did indeed have jurisdiction over the case. She stressed that even brief losses of these freedoms constitute irreparable harm.
just heard about this and it's really scary 
Khalil's activism is basically what makes him who he is, you know? He's not hurting anyone with his words or actions... I don't think the gov can just silence people like that because they disagree with US foreign policy 
The First Amendment is there to protect us from being censored or persecuted for our beliefs, and if the court says otherwise, it's like, what's next? 
they're basically saying Khalil's free speech is just a privilege and can be taken away at any moment, which is literally what we're supposed to protect as Americans, ya know? 
I mean, come on, Secretary of State Rubio, you can't just label someone a threat to US foreign policy interests because they speak out against Israel's brutal actions in Gaza... that's like saying we can't criticize our own government's decisions, which is not how democracy works 
. And this decision is basically putting Khalil at risk of being rearrested? 
that's just a recipe for disaster, dude. Something fishy is going on here...
Just great, another 'hero' silenced by the system. This dude was just trying to raise awareness about some serious human rights issues and now he's being threatened with deportation for it 
and can appeal his case again. The fact that the judges had to weigh in on First Amendment rights is a good thing, though - it shows someone cares about protecting our freedoms 
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we need more ppl like khalil standing up for what's right, even if it means going against the system 
The First Amendment is meant to protect us from the government's overreach, and this decision sends a super bad message 
And what about Columbia University? Aren't they supposed to be a place where we can debate and discuss our differences without fear of retribution? It just doesn't feel right when our government starts targeting people for their views 
Just kidding kinda (not really). Seriously though, this decision is like, woah. I mean, I get it, national security and all that jazz, but can't you just let a guy speak out against some stuff without getting threatened with deportation? 
Khalil's like, totally exercising his First Amendment rights and what does he get in return? A possible trip back to Algeria 
. The court's decision is pretty harsh, I guess the dissenting judge was right though - losing freedom is a pretty big deal.
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... and now he's risking being rearrested while awaiting case outcome 
... something needs to change in the system... can't have people punished for their opinions 
this is a really sad day for free speech in the US 
khalil was just doing his thing, organizing events and speaking out for a cause he cares about 
what's the harm in that? 
. This is a slippery slope, folks 
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This decision is super worrying for anyone who speaks out against Israel or supports Palestinian causes. It's like, if you're a US resident and someone thinks your activism poses a threat to their interests, they can just start targeting you? 
. The fact that the government is targeting him for his pro-Palestinian views is concerning and raises questions about freedom of speech 
. This whole ordeal just highlights how vulnerable we can be when our voices get in the way of powerful interests 
. It's not about being pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel, it's about standing up for human rights 
. And let's not forget that Khalil was arrested and put on a deportation hearing list