ICE denies Mahmoud Khalil's plea to attend son's birth

His wife gave birth in New York while Khalil remained in a detention facility more than 1,600 kilometres away

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Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate detained in Louisiana, was barred from attending the birth of his first child in New York on Monday, after immigration authorities denied a request for temporary release.

Khalil’s legal team sent a plea to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials Sunday morning, asking for a two-week furlough so he could be present when his wife gave birth.

Khalil’s attorneys informed officials that his wife had gone into labour in New York City, eight days ahead of schedule.

The lawyers expressed their willingness to comply with any conditions necessary for the temporary release, including GPS ankle monitoring and routine check-ins.

Photo: Screenshot obtained by NPR

Roughly 30 minutes after the request was submitted, Melissa Harper, director of the ICE field office in New Orleans, issued a brief denial, stating that the furlough would not be granted “after consideration of the submitted information and a review of your client’s case.”

Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and the first student demonstrator to be detained by the Trump administration amid its widening crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists, has been in ICE custody at a detention centre in Jena, Louisiana, for over a month — more than 1,000 miles from his family.

He listened to the birth of his son over the phone.

His wife, Noor Abdalla, a US citizen, issued a statement on Monday accusing the Trump administration and ICE for robbing their family irreplaceable moments.

“My son and I should not be navigating his first days on earth without Mahmoud,” she said. “I will continue to fight every day for Mahmoud to come home to us. I know when Mahmoud is freed, he will show our son how to be brave, thoughtful, and compassionate, just like his dad.

While Khalil has not been charged with a crime, the Trump administration has accused him of supporting Hamas, though no evidence has been presented in court. An immigration judge recently ruled that Khalil is removable from the United States, a decision his attorneys are appealing.

His lawyers have also filed a federal lawsuit challenging the legality of his detention.