Mahmoud Khalil told a judge his deportation could be a death sentence. Here's why - NPR

Khalil's lawyers are trying to convince an immigration judge that if he's deported, Israel could target him over his advocacy for Palestinian rights.

A Father Meets His Newborn Son

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil finally met his newborn son for the first time on Thursday, just hours before a crucial immigration hearing that could determine whether he faces deportation from the United States.

The emotional reunion came after a federal judge ordered immigration officials to allow a contact visit at the Louisiana detention facility where Khalil has been held since March. The Syrian-born Palestinian refugee, who is a Columbia University graduate student and lawful permanent resident, has been detained for over 75 days following his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

"This was Mr. Khalil's first chance at holding his newborn child, who was born a month ago. And it's really sad that we had to go to court to get that," said Ramzi Kassem, one of Khalil's attorneys.

Challenging Legal Battle

During Thursday's immigration hearing, Judge Jamee Comans denied motions to terminate deportation proceedings despite Khalil's attorneys arguing he was arrested illegally and without a warrant. The judge also rejected motions to postpone the hearing and to subpoena witnesses.

Khalil's legal team presented hundreds of pages of evidence against his removal, including declarations from professors and classmates attesting to his character, as well as expert testimony suggesting he could face dangerous persecution if deported.

"It's an attempt, an unsuccessful attempt at that, to silence people who speak up in defense of Palestinian human rights," Kassem stated. "The government has presented no evidence in support of its baseless rhetoric."

The Trump administration has relied on a rarely used section of immigration law to argue Khalil should be deported because his presence threatens U.S. foreign policy goals of combating antisemitism. An earlier ruling in April upheld this claim based primarily on a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that did not allege any criminal activity.