• U.S. judge Michael Farbiarz ruled Trump’s deportation bid against pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil likely unconstitutional.
• Khalil, held in Louisiana, argues the charges against him violate his First Amendment rights.
• The ruling criticized the vagueness of the law enabling his detention, raising concerns over executive power.

A U.S. District Judge, Michael Farbiarz, ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration's attempt to deport Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is likely unconstitutional. Khalil currently remains in immigration detention in Louisiana after his arrest on March 8, which followed the State Department's revocation of his green card under a provision allowing removal of non-citizens deemed a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests. The judge indicated that Khalil is likely to succeed in contesting that the provision is unconstitutional as applied to him, highlighting fears over the breadth of executive power used in his case, according to Reuters and HuffPost.

Judge Farbiarz's 27-page opinion emphasized that the lack of a clear standard for the government's action raises significant constitutional issues, particularly when applied to lawful permanent residents like Khalil. He criticized the government's claim that Khalil posed a threat under the law, arguing that it constituted a vague basis for deportation that could infringe on constitutional protections. This case is part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism in the U.S., following heightened tensions after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent military operations, as noted by TRT Global and Al Jazeera.

Khalil's detention has brought emotional distress, marked by the separation from his newborn son, which he was only recently allowed to meet under restrictive circumstances. Civil rights groups have condemned the administration’s actions as retaliation against his activism, asserting that targeting Khalil for his pro-Palestinian stance represents a chilling effect on free speech and dissent. Moreover, concerns about how this case could set legal precedents for future deportations of activists were raised, as many individuals have faced similar pressures following their critical views of U.S. foreign policy, according to NY Times and Anadolu Agency.