Judge rejects Trump admin attempt to redetain Mahmoud Khalil over bogus claims ‘foreign policy’ grounds

Multiple credible sources from mid-2025 confirm that a federal judge ruled against the Trump administration's use of foreign policy grounds to detain Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist. The court found that the government's claim that Khalil's presence posed a threat to U.S. Foreign policy was likely unconstitutional and violated constitutional protections, including First Amendment concerns.

Despite this ruling, the Trump administration attempted to keep Khalil detained by citing other grounds such as immigration status issues. Khalil was eventually released after months in detention, but the administration filed appeals and used legal loopholes to delay his release. Khalil has since filed a $20 million claim against the administration for his detention.

The claim that the Trump administration's attempt to redetain him on foreign policy grounds was rejected by a judge is accurate; however, the administration's continued efforts to detain him on other grounds complicate the situation.