A federal appeals court on Thursday delivered the Trump administration a victory in its efforts to deport Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, opening the door for his rearrest. Khalil was a graduate student at Columbia University when he was arrested in March and detained for months. He missed the birth of his son, Deen, while in detention. “The Trump administration is trying everything in its…
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This story was originally published on Truthout on Jan. 15, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.
A federal appeals court has reversed a June court decision to release pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, marking a major win for the Trump administration amid its ongoing push to deport him.
In a two-to-one decision on Thursday, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that the lower federal court did not have jurisdiction over the immigration matters in the case, and instructed it to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Khalil that freed him on a temporary basis.
“The scheme Congress enacted governing immigration proceedings provides Khalil a meaningful forum in which to raise his claims later on — in a petition for review of a final order of removal,” or a PFR, the panel’s majority wrote in the judgment.
“The immigration laws enacted by Congress ordinarily require an alien to challenge his deportation in a PFR — unless he raises questions that a court of appeals could not meaningfully review in that context. That scheme ensures that petitioners get just one bite at the apple — not zero or two,” the decision goes on. “But it also means that some petitioners, like Khalil, will have to wait to seek relief for allegedly unlawful government conduct.”
The order reversed by the panel had found that Khalil’s detention and removal were likely unconstitutional, with his detention causing irreparable harm to the Columbia University activist. Khalil missed the birth of his first child while in prison, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) denied his request to be present with his wife.
Khalil’s legal team said that the order does not go into effect immediately, as the
A federal appeals court has reversed a June court decision to release pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, marking a major win for the Trump administration amid its ongoing push to deport him. In a two-to-one decision on Thursday, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that the lower federal court did not have jurisdiction over the immigration…
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Since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, and until the closure of the Rafah border crossing in May 2024, around 100,000 Palestinians — approximately 4 percent of Gaza’s population — have been displaced to Egypt. Some were forced to leave to receive medical treatment or continue their education after the Israeli war destroyed most schools and hospitals in the…
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A far right pro-Israel group that has spent years harassing pro-Palestine advocates in the U.S. is slated to end operations in New York state after an investigation by state Attorney General Letitia James found that the group has carried out a “campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation.” Betar US, the American branch of a militant Zionist movement, has indicated to New York’s Office…
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According to the United Nations, over 11,000 Palestinians have gone missing in Gaza since October 2023. Relatives don’t know if the missing are dead or alive, under the rubble, or in Israeli detention centers. In this on-the-ground report from Gaza, TRNN speaks with family members about their lost loved ones and the impossible struggle to find out if they’re dead, missing, or imprisoned.
Credits:
Producers: Belal Awad, Leo Erhardt
Videographers: Ruwaida Amer, Mahmoud Al Mashharawi
Video Editor: Leo Erhardt
Transcript
Safa Saber Sadi Jundiya:
He disappeared on Monday, September 29, 2024, at 5:53 p.m. We were in Deir al-Balah. That was the last time I saw him. and he told me he was going to Gaza.
Narrator:
Safa Jundiya is one of thousands. According to the UN, since October 2023 over 11,000 Palestinians have gone missing in Gaza. Relatives don’t know if the missing are dead or alive, under the rubble or in Israeli detention centers.
Safa Saber Sadi Jundiya:
I lost my husband about a year and four months ago. I lost him when he was trying to return to the Gaza Strip via the south. Now I live with my children without my husband.
Narrator:
This is Safa’s son, Tamer. 12 years of age now, he was 11 when his father disappeared.
Tamer Mohamed Nayef Jundiya:
When he left, we said goodbye. He kissed each of us and said: Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a few hours. We told him, “OK but don’t be long because we can’t go to sleep or wake up without you.” He said: “Don’t worry”.
Safa Saber Sadi Jundiya:
We had lunch together, we chatted, we talked, we laughed, and suddenly he told me that he wanted