AP —A federal appeals panel on Thursday reversed a lower court decision that released Mahmoud Khalil from an immigration jail, bringing the government one step closer to detaining and ultimately deporting the Palestinian activist. A three-judge panel of the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia instructed the lower court to dismiss Khalil’s habeas petition, a court filing that secured his release. The panel ruled the federal district court in New Jersey did not have jurisdiction over the matter because immigration challenges are handled differently under the law. In June, a federal judge in New Jersey ruled that justification would likely be declared unconstitutional and ordered Khalil released. President Donald Trump’s administration then appealed that ruling, arguing the deportation decision should ultimately fall to an immigration judge, rather than a federal court.

Source: CNN January 16, 2026 06:34 UTC