By JAKE OFFENHARTZ, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Mahmoud Khalil appeared Tuesday in a federal appeals court in Philadelphia as he continues to challenge a deportation case brought by President Donald Trump’s administration over his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University.

The hearing before the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals came as the government seeks to overturn a lower court order granting Khalil’s June release from a Louisiana immigration jail.

Khalil’s attorneys have asked the three-judge panel to affirm the district court’s ruling, which prevents federal authorities from detaining him again and beginning the deportation process.

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil meets with supporters outside Federal Court on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Ma

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