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.

Show Caption 1 of 2 Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil meets with supporters outside Federal Court on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 in Phi

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