Judge denies Trump bid to toss Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil's challenge to arrest
Source: USA Today
Published 10:39 a.m. ET March 19, 2025 | Updated 11:05 a.m ET March 19, 2025
NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday denied a bid by the Trump administration to dismiss detained Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil's challenge to the legality of his arrest by immigration agents over his participation in pro-Palestinian protests but moved the case to New Jersey.
Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman agreed with the Justice Department that he did not have jurisdiction over the case. Furman ordered the case moved to federal court in New Jersey, where Khalil was held at the time his lawyers first challenged his arrest in New York. Furman did not rule on Khalil's bid to be released on bail from detention.
Khalil's lawyer Samah Sisay said in a statement on Wednesday that the government moved Khalil to Louisiana to avoid having the case heard in New York or New Jersey. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that assertion or on Furman's ruling.
"Mr. Khalil should be free and home with his wife awaiting the birth of their first child, and we will continue to do everything possible to make that happen," Sisay said.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/19/mahmoud-khalil-trump-court-judge-columbia/82541449007/
From the excerpts -
Khalil's lawyer Samah Sisay said in a statement on Wednesday that the government moved Khalil to Louisiana to avoid having the case heard in New York or New Jersey.
THAT is why they moved the detainees out of Guantanamo and into Louisiana as well - "judge shopping" by moving them to areas under the 5th Circuit due to all their court losses under other Circuits (D.C., 1st, 2nd, & 9th so far). What will be interesting are any cases coming out of Colorado since they are messing with Denver. That would be under the 10th Circuit which has 7 (D) - 5 (R) judicial appointees in that Appellate court.