New York: A U.S. judge on Monday ordered not to deport Mahmoud Khalil, Palestinian Columbia student, for now and posted the hearing in the case for Wednesday, news agency Reuters reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Khalil as ‘Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student’ on social media alongside asserting that more arrests would follow.
It is reported citing his lawyers that Khalil was taken to a federal jail in Louisiana while waiting for deportation proceedings.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the state attorney general and demonstrators in New York City have questioned Khalil’s arrest terming it an attack on free speech.
Khalil, who held a legal permanent resident status, is known for his involvement in Pro-Palestinian protest movement that stirred up demonstrations in the US and the world last year.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that police and protesters clashed in Manhattan leading to the detention of one student.
Meanwhile, U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman on Monday halted Khalil’s deportation with his lawyers seeking the judge to ‘ order Khalil’s return to New York’.
Trump said that Khalil’s presence in the country is ‘contrary to national and foreign policy interests’.
Alongside, the Education Department asked 60 U.S. universities including Harvard, Columbia and Yale, in writing to address ‘allegations of antisemitism on campus’, and warned them of cut in federal funding if they fail to comply.
Even before Khalil was arrested, federal immigration agents were reportedly seen at student housing in Columbia’s Manhattan campus.
This took place a day before the government said it was cancelling $ 400 million federal grants and contracts allotted to the school citing antisemitic harassment on its New York City campus.