New paperwork entered in a New Jersey courtroom on Thursday present that the federal authorities defended its warrantless arrest of Columbia College pupil activist Mahmoud Khalil by saying brokers feared he’d flee as a result of he mentioned he would depart the scene.
The paperwork had been entered into the courtroom report to defend towards efforts by legal professionals to win freedom for Khalil, who has been held in a detention middle in Jena, Louisiana, for six weeks.
In a doc filed in Newark federal courtroom, a lawyer for the Division of Homeland Safety wrote on Monday that brokers conducting surveillance of Khalil on March 8 had been notified that he could possibly be faraway from the nation as a result of his presence or actions would have critical hostile international coverage penalties for the US.
As Khalil walked on a sidewalk together with his spouse, a Homeland Safety Investigations agent approached and recognized himself, based on the courtroom submitting.
After his spouse went to retrieve paperwork displaying Khalil had lawful residence standing, the agent requested him to cooperate whereas they tried to confirm his identification, however Khalil “acknowledged that he wouldn’t cooperate and that he was going to go away the scene,” the lawyer wrote.
The Homeland Safety supervisory agent at that time “believed there was a flight threat and arrest was mandatory,” he mentioned.
In a launch Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union contested the account, saying the declare he was about to flee was false and belied by video taken of the arrest by Khalil’s spouse, together with earlier accounts of the arrest.
Marc Van Der Hout, a lawyer for Khalil, mentioned within the launch that brokers instructed Khalil when he was taken into custody that that they had an arrest warrant, and his legal professionals solely discovered this week with the brand new authorities submitting that there was none.
“The federal government’s admission is astounding, and it’s fully outrageous that they tried to claim to the immigration choose — and the world — of their preliminary submitting of the arrest report that there was an arrest warrant when there was none. That is egregious conduct by DHS that ought to require, beneath the legislation, termination of those proceedings, and we hope that the immigration courtroom will so rule,” he mentioned.
Amy Greer, a lawyer who was on the cellphone with Khalil and the arresting agent on the evening of the arrest, mentioned Khalil remained calm that night and complied with orders whilst brokers failed to point out an arrest warrant.
“Immediately, we now know why they by no means confirmed Mahmoud that warrant — they didn’t have one. That is clearly one more determined try by the Trump administration to justify its illegal arrest and detention of human rights defender Mahmoud Khalil, who’s now, by the federal government’s personal tacit admission, a political prisoner of the US,” Greer mentioned.
Khalil is a authorized everlasting U.S. resident and graduate pupil who served as spokesperson for campus activists final yr throughout giant demonstrations at Columbia towards Israel’s remedy of Palestinians and the struggle in Gaza.
He was detained by federal brokers within the foyer of his Manhattan condominium on March 8, the primary arrest in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists.
The Trump administration has not accused Khalil of felony conduct, however has argued he must be expelled from the nation for his beliefs.
An immigration choose in Louisiana dominated earlier this month that the federal government’s assertion that Khalil’s presence within the U.S. posed “doubtlessly critical international coverage penalties” happy necessities for deportation.
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