Mahmoud Khalil asks US Supreme Court to hear his case — The Hill
In the United States, Mahmoud Khalil, a participant in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, has asked the Supreme Court to hear his case. As The Hill reports, his lawyers announced this on October 19.
Subject of the appeal
The Supreme Court is not currently being asked to directly decide whether Khalil's detention was a response to his speech. He is challenging a ruling that a federal judge lacked the authority to order his release from custody until he had exhausted options within the immigration system.
Khalil's lawyers believe he should have an opportunity to immediately invoke First Amendment protections through a habeas corpus petition, a judicial procedure for challenging the legality of detention. In their view, the current ruling gives the government an unprecedented tool to silence critics and deter other people's speech.
Detention and appeal
Khalil, who holds a US green card, became one of the most prominent people detained among students and faculty members without US citizenship who expressed support for Palestine. Immigration authorities detained him in March 2025, after which he remained in custody for several months. A federal judge subsequently ordered his release.
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Khalil appealed to the Supreme Court after losing in the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The appellate court agreed with the administration of President Donald Trump that federal law does not allow courts to consider his arguments before immigration proceedings are completed.
While the justices decide whether to take up the case, Khalil will remain free. The Supreme Court rejects most such petitions; his case is expected to be considered at a closed meeting in the coming months.
The Trump administration had previously asked the Supreme Court to consider a similar procedural issue in the case of Badar Khan Suri, an Indian citizen and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University whom it sought to deport. The administration acknowledged that the court could consider both cases.
