A New Jersey federal judge on Friday eased travel limits imposed on Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian green card holder and Columbia University graduate student, allowing him to travel freely anywhere within the United States as long as he provides 48 hours’ advance notice to the court.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer granted the motion following a Thursday hearing in Khalil’s case, which challenges his detention and ongoing immigration restrictions. Khalil, who was arrested and placed in removal proceedings by the Trump administration in March, had asked the court to lift the remaining constraints on his movement, calling them unnecessary and burdensome.
Background and Prior Restrictions
Since his release from immigration detention in June, Khalil had been confined to travel only within New York, where he resides, and to Michigan, Louisiana, and New Jersey, primarily to attend court hearings and medical appointments. In his October 14 motion, Khalil argued that the limited travel permissions had curtailed his academic and personal activities.
He noted that Yale Law School students had invited him to participate in a forum, but he was unable to accept due to the geographic restrictions. His motion urged the court to restore his full domestic travel rights, stating:
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