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The wife of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist, has given birth to their first child while Khalil remains in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following a denied request for temporary release to witness the birth.
Mahmoud Khalil, who is currently detained at a facility in Jena, Louisiana, had submitted a plea through his legal team for a two-week furlough. According to emails reviewed by ABC News, the request was made after his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, went into labour eight days ahead of her due date.
The lawyers proposed that Mahmoud Khalil could be released under supervision, suggesting he wear an ankle monitor and report regularly to ICE officers. However, the request was denied by the New Orleans ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Director, Mellissa B. Harper.
In an official response, Harper stated: “After consideration of the submitted information and a review of your client’s case, your request for furlough is denied.”
Following the birth of their child, Dr Abdalla released a statement expressing her dismay: “My son and I should not be navigating his first days on earth without Mahmoud. ICE and the Trump administration have stolen these precious moments from our family in an attempt to silence Mahmoud’s support for Palestinian freedom.”
Khalil’s detention follows a recent ruling by an immigration judge on April 11, which declared him deportable. This decision was made after Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked a legal provision asserting that Khalil’s continued presence in the US could negatively impact the country’s foreign policy interests.
The judge has given Khalil’s legal team until April 23 to submit relief applications in a bid to halt the deportation proceedings. Failure to meet the deadline would see an order issued for his removal to either Syria or Algeria.
While studying at Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil was a prominent member of a student group leading protests against the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. He participated in negotiations with university administrators, calling for the institution to sever ties with Israeli companies and divest from entities connected to Israel.
Mahmoud Khalil completed his graduate studies at Columbia in December and is due to graduate officially this spring. He was arrested by ICE officers in March at his university accommodation.
