Mahmoud Khalil will appeal his deportation case to the US Supreme Court after a federal appeals court declined to rehear his challenge to his immigration detention.
According to Khalil’s legal team, the verdict on Friday came by a narrow margin of 6-5.
Khalil, a US permanent resident, has been targeted for deportation by the administration of US President Donald Trump due to his pro-Palestine activism.
His lawyers have argued that his detention violates freedom of expression protections.
Last June, a federal judge ordered Khalil’s release and blocked deportation proceedings, but an appeals court later ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction.
Brett Max Kauffman said in a statement, “Today’s decision is not the last word, and we still strongly believe in our arguments going forward.”
He said, “Federal courts should have the power to step in when the government exploits our country’s immigration system to punish people for their constitutionally protected speech.”
Separately, Khalil’s lawyers are also challenging the final deportation order issued by the Board of Immigration Appeals.
The Trump administration has accused Khalil of raising national security concerns and removing past work for UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, from immigration paperwork.
Khalil has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime.
