Judge rules Trump cannot use foreign policy claim to deport Mahmoud Khalil

A crowd gathers in Foley Square, outside the Manhattan federal court, in support of Mahmoud Khalil in March [File: Stefan Jeremiah/The Associated Press]

A federal judge in New Jersey has ruled the administration of United States President Donald Trump cannot use an obscure law to detain Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil for his pro-Palestine advocacy.

The ruling from US District Judge Michael Farbiarz on Wednesday cut to the core of the Trump administration’s justification for deporting Khalil, a permanent US resident. But it came short of ordering Khalil’s immediate release from detention.