Ex-Columbia Grad Student Loses Ruling in Deportation Fight (2)

A former Columbia University graduate student detained by US authorities over his role in pro-Palestinian protests was dealt a blow in his effort to avoid deportation after a federal appeals court ruled a lower court judge didn’t have the authority to order his release from custody.

Mahmoud Khalil had asked the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in October to block the Trump administration from detaining and deporting him, citing a ruling by a federal judge in New Jersey. But the appellate judges in Philadelphia sided with the government, saying in a ruling Thursday that Khalil must first challenge his ...