Federal judge agrees Justice Department can keep detaining Mahmoud Khalil, despite previous order

A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration can continue detaining Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil if the detention is not based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio's assessment that he poses a threat to national security. 

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in New Jersey rejected the Trump administration's assertion on Wednesday that Khalil posed a national security threat and was undermining U.S. foreign policy, and ordered his release by Friday.

The Justice Department updated its argument Friday to reflect the Wednesday decision, instead stating that he could be detained for other reasons, including immigration-related issues, which Farbiarz agreed with, per NBC News.

"To the extent the Petitioner requests relief from this Court, the request is denied," the judge wrote. 

Khalil has been in federal custody since March 8, after he helped lead an anti-Israel protest at Columbia last year. He was detained despite his status as a "legal permanent resident."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.