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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Maya Yang and Alice Speri

US appeals court reverses decision that freed Mahmoud Khalil from ICE detention

a man sitting down
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was released from ICE detention in June, poses for a portrait at his apartment in Brooklyn on 25 August 2025. Photograph: Ahmed Gaber/The Guardian

A federal appeals court on Thursday reversed a lower court decision that ordered the release of the former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, delivering the Trump administration a victory in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activist.

A 2-1 panel of the Philadelphia-based third US circuit court of appeals ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention after finding that federal immigration law stripped the lower court of jurisdiction over his claims.

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