Government Seeks to Re-Detain College Students Released from ICE Custody

The federal government is seeking to revisit several immigration cases involving college students previously detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for alleged involvement in pro-Palestinian activism on university campuses. Officials have begun contacting various court systems to explore possible appeals in cases where students were released from ICE custody.

Among the affected students are high-profile scholars who remain under scrutiny despite rulings in their favor. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University, was released after two separate courts ruled in her favor. The government is now asking an appeals court to review those decisions.

Khan Suri, a Georgetown scholar accused of spreading pro-Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media, also has his case under scrutiny. The government is asking an appeals court to reexamine the case, which could lead to his return to detention.

Mohsen Mahdawi, a permanent U.S. resident who was released from custody and graduated from Columbia University on Monday, has spoken out about the cases. "Rather than being in prison in Vermont or Louisiana, I come here to celebrate with my fellow students, my brothers and sisters, my professors, and my community in New York City," Mahdawi said.

Mahdawi also drew attention to the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia who was taken into custody in front of his pregnant wife. Khalil is currently being held in a detention center in Louisiana.

Khalil's case is proceeding on two legal tracks: in federal court, his attorneys are seeking his release; and in immigration court, a judge has already ruled that he should be deported. His legal team is racing to overturn that decision.