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Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mahmoud Khalil, detained Columbia grad, set for critical immigration hearing
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate student and lawful permanent resident who has been detained by immigration authorities since March, is scheduled to appear at a pivotal immigration hearing Thursday that could determine his future in the United States. Khalil, who had been involved in negotiations on behalf of pro-Palestinian student protesters on the campus of Columbia last year, hasn't been charged with a crime but is one of several foreign national the Trump administration has accused of posing a natural security threat due to alleged ties to terrorist organizations - a claim his attorneys strongly dispute. His attorneys are expected to renew their motion to terminate the deportation proceedings on Thursday, arguing the government has engaged in egregious misconduct. The attorneys have challenged the legality of Khalil's warrantless arrest and say he was targeted for his pro-Palestinian views. In the 75 days since Khalil's arrest, at least three other international college students have been detained and later released from detention after weeks of legal action by their attorneys Rümeysa Öztürk, Mohsen Mahdawi and Badar Khan Suri – who were all targeted for deportation by the Trump administration - challenged the legality of their detentions by filing a flurry of motions and legal briefs with federal district courts. In every case, a judge heard their cases and agreed to release them while the immigration cases play out in immigration court. Khalil's case, in contrast, has dragged on for months as two separate venues – a federal district court in New Jersey and an administrative immigration court in Jena, Louisiana –consider next steps. 'This court has exhibited a worrying lack of independence and fairness towards the important questions regarding the unlawful detention and removal of Mr. Khalil,' Baher Azmy, legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and one of Khalil's attorneys, told CNN Wednesday. Khalil's legal team said Wednesday the government's strategy seems focused on delaying Khalil's habeas proceedings – a basic legal process meant to play out in federal court in which a judge has the power to order his release. At the same time, Khalil's attorneys say the government is working to speed up the immigration proceedings being handled by an immigration court within the Department of Justice where judges have limited independence. 'There has been no reason that they're rushing so fast except to try to get this case over before the federal court judge can do anything. It's been truly obvious,' Marc Van Der Hout, an immigration attorney for Khalil told reporters Wednesday. During Thursday's immigration hearing, Khalil's attorneys will renew their motion to terminate the deportation proceedings arguing there has been 'egregious government misconduct,' - including with Khalil's unlawful arrest without a warrant, his attorneys said Wednesday. The renewed motion to terminate the case will include new video evidence his lawyers say contradicts the government's claim that officers did not need to obtain a warrant for Khalil's arrest because they believed he was a flight risk. CNN exclusively reported on the never-before-seen video of the arrest this week. The footage shows Khalil made no apparent attempt to flee and that he did not refuse to cooperate with immigration officers who arrested him in the lobby of his building – a claim attorneys for the Department of Justice have previously made in court. 'We have now caught the government in three direct lies, some of them to the court,' Van Der Hout said. CNN has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. The Trump administration is relying on a rarely used portion of US immigration law to argue that Khalil should be deported because his presence in the United States threatens the administration's foreign policy goal of combatting antisemitism. So far, his legal team has filed an application for asylum to prevent Khalil's removal, but attorneys for the Department of Justice have already signaled their intention to block the application, citing concerns that Khalil is a national security threat. Ahead of Thursday's immigration hearing, Khalil's legal team also filed hundreds of pages of new evidence against his removal. The filings, which were obtained and reviewed by CNN, include declarations from Khalil's professors and classmates – including Jewish students and academics all attesting to his character. The filings also include expert declarations telling the court that Khalil is likely to be a target of foreign government or be subject to dangerous persecution if he is deported from the US. 'We're going to get through as much testimony as we can in the morning and we're feeling quite confident that the evidence shows there is a likelihood that Mahmoud would be subjected to egregious harm,' Johnny Sinodis, an immigration attorney for Khalil told reporters Wednesday. Regardless of Thursday's outcome, Khalil's attorneys say they will appeal any decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Separately, a restraining order issued by a federal judge in New Jersey remains in effect and would prevent his removal from the country until the federal case is resolved. Khalil, the first person to be arrested as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and executive order to target student activism on college campuses has been detained since March despite not being charged with a crime. As the legal process plays out, Khalil has missed his graduation from Columbia University and the birth of his first son. During Wednesday's commencement ceremony, Columbia's acting president, Claire Shipman, mentioned Khalil in a speech that followed a wave of boos from the graduates as she walked onto the stage. 'I know many in our community today, are mourning the absence of our graduate Mahmoud Khalil,' Shipman said. Earlier this week, Khalil's legal team and his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla requested permission from ICE officials in Jena, Louisiana, for a contact visit with Khalil, Abdalla and his newborn son ahead of the hearing. The request was denied by facility officials who cited a blanket policy against contact visits, his attorneys said. Abdalla – who has not seen Khalil since his arrest in March – gave birth to their son, Deen, last month. 'After flying over a thousand miles to Louisiana with our newborn son, his very first flight, all so his father could finally hold him in his arms, ICE has denied us even this most basic human right,' Abdalla said in a statement. 'This is not just heartless. It is deliberate violence, the calculated cruelty of a government that tears families apart without remorse.' New Jersey Federal District Court Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered immigration authorities to allow an in-person meeting between Khalil, his lawyers and his wife on Thursday. The order, which does not specifically mention Khalil's visit with his son, says the meeting is to happen before 10:30 a.m., and instructs immigration officials to 'take reasonably necessary security measures.' 'The meeting shall take place in-person, and under conditions (including as to length of time and confidentiality) that are appropriate for a substantial attorney-client meeting,' Farbiarz wrote. Abdalla and their son are expected to attend Thursday's hearing. Khalil's detention has sparked protests across the country from supporters who believe his detention is a flagrant violation of core American values – including the protection of free speech. At a prior hearing in April, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jamee Comans ruled that Khalil could be deported, after the United States government argued his presence posed 'potentially serious foreign policy consequences.' Khalil's attorneys argue that the government's evidence is insufficient and based solely on a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which does not allege any criminal activity. They contend that Khalil is being targeted for his political speech in violation of his First Amendment rights.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
"Operation Babylift" adoptees talk about their experience 50 years later
'Operation Babylift' adoptees talk about their lives 50 years after fall of Saigon 'Operation Babylift' adoptees talk about their lives 50 years after fall of Saigon 'Operation Babylift' adoptees talk about their lives 50 years after fall of Saigon At San Francisco's Crissy Field, an old building sits largely unnoticed. But 50 years ago, inside Harmon Hall, an event unfolded that changed the lives of thousands of people, including the lives of three little girls. "You know we all went through a lot of trauma," said Lara Price. "I find that I think about it less and less," noted Wendy Norberg. "The fall of Saigon was happening, and they had to get everyone out," remarked Tricia Houston. Leading up to the fall of Saigon, for most of April 1975, the U.S. government airlifted nearly 2,600 Vietnamese children to America for adoption. The series of 32 flights was part of "Operation Babylift." The first flight was unauthorized and occurred on a World Airways DC-8. Norberg arrived on this flight which landed late at night at Oakland International Airport. The first authorized flight crashed soon after takeoff and killed dozens of children. Lara Price survived the crash. Price was then put on the next flight, along with a very tiny baby who in the U.S. became known as Tricia Houston. Tricia was very sick and at 6 months, only weighed 9 lbs. All three babies arrived at Harmon Hall, along with hundreds of other Vietnamese children — all bearing adoption papers thanks to the Babylift. President Gerald Ford, who authorized the multi-million-dollar effort, arrived with his wife Betty at SFO, where he took a baby off the plane. Price, now a musician, was adopted by a military officer and his wife. They traveled around as his duties changed. Tricia Houston, an elementary school teacher, found a new home with a family in Orange County. And Wendy Norberg, an accomplished photographer, was embraced by Ralph and Marilyn Norberg. But the mission was not without controversy. At Harmon Hall, as the children were processed some of the volunteers spoke Vietnamese to the children. "They discovered that a significant number of them had families and that they were not orphans," remarked East Bay Attorney Thomas Miller. Miller, along with the Center for Constitutional Rights, immediately filed a class action lawsuit against the US government to determine who was eligible for adoption. The lawsuit Nguyen Da Yen v Kissinger argued that the detention of the children was unconstitutional, and the lawyers sought to reunite the children with their families. Miller told CBS News Bay Area that some of the Vietnamese parents put their kids on a plane to save them, hoping to join them once the children escaped immediate danger. He likened their action to throwing a child out of a burning building and if the parent survived, they would want their child handed back to them. "All of this would have been preventable if the U.S. government had operated responsibly right from the beginning, remarked Miller. A judge denied the lawsuit and sealed the records. Years later, international family law and immigration expert Rong Kuhtz took a deeper dive. "I discovered widespread misconduct," Kuhtz said. Kultz researched federal, state, and court records involving the Babylift. Miller supplied her with everything he had on the case. She discovered nearly half the children arrived with forged or fake identities, and that there is no paper trial to find who they are or where they came from, and that their actual identities are unverifiable. "I feel a grave sadness," reacted Kuhtz. Today, many of the adoptees have turned to DNA tests to uncover their past. Houston's results had a match. Her biological father had also taken a test. "He was looking, searching for 35 years," said Tricia, amazed at his perseverance and effort in trying to locate her. Price's parents remain unknown. She had a childhood fantasy that one day they would be reunited. "I was hoping that my parents would see me singing on TV, and they would come find me and we'd live happily ever after," smiled Price. As for Norberg, she told CBS News Bay Area that he had no desire to find any biological relative. "To me, that's not important," remarked Norberg. All three clearly love their adoptive parents. Norberg remains busy at work and with her photography. Houston earned a master's degree in education, met her biological father, and adopted a child. "I've had a great life in America and a great life with my family," exclaimed Houston. Some of the adoptees suffered abuse after arriving in the U.S., including Lara Price who recounted how she was sexually abused as a young child by individuals close to the family. She now uses her music to help foster and adopted children who have similar trauma. "It's my superpower and if I can make change with music with other adoptees or foster kids or survivors, I would like that," explained Price. The end of the war was just the beginning for three very different women whose life stories are still being written.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration can deport Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil over pro-Palestinian activism
NEW YORK — An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled Friday the Trump administration can deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who served as a negotiator on behalf of his classmates at Columbia University with the school administration. Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jamee Comans gave Khalil's lawyers until April 23 to seek a waiver, they said in a press release after the hearing. 'I would like to quote what you said last time that there's nothing that's more important to this court than due process rights and fundamental fairness,' Khalil addressed the court at the end of the hearing, according to his lawyers. 'Clearly what we witnessed today, neither of these principles were present today or in this whole process.' Before Friday's decision, Khalil's lawyers had vowed vowed to continue pushing for Khalil to remain in the United States, even if the immigration judge ruled against him. 'We are far from the end of the road if that happens,' Johnny Sinodis, one of Khalil's immigration lawyers, said at a press conference Thursday. The immigration case, Sinodis said, would move on to what's called the 'relief stage' of removal proceedings. 'It will most certainly require several more hearings before a final decision can be made.' In a memo ahead of the hearing, rather than present specific evidence of wrongdoing against Khalil, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued the Trump administration has the authority to deport people for their beliefs. The two-page filing did not accuse Khalil of any crimes. Khalil, 30, who as a green card holder is a legal permanent resident, was taken into custody at his Columbia-owned apartment on March 8 and told he was being deported for his participation in campus protests against the war in Gaza and Columbia's investment ties to Israel. The following day, Khalil was transported to a detention facility more than 1,000 miles away in Jena, Louisiana, where his immigration lawyers have been fighting his deportation, as his American citizen wife prepares to give birth to their first child later this month. The administration has cited an obscure provision in a 1952 law that empowers Rubio to order someone deported if their presence in the country could pose unfavorable consequences for U.S. foreign policy, which the feds claim his advocacy for Palestinians does. The Trump administration has also accused Khalil of failing to disclose parts of his work history on his green card application; his lawyers have denied the allegations. Khalil was the first of many college students in the U.S. to be targeted over the last several weeks as part of Trump's deportation agenda. In a separate legal action in New Jersey federal court, his lawyers have challenged his detention on free speech grounds, demanding his immediate release. 'Federal court is independent of the immigration proceedings,' Baher Azmy, the legal director of Center for Constitutional Rights and one of Khalil's lawyers in the federal case, said at the press conference. Azmy said it was not only within the New Jersey federal court's power, but its obligation, to decide if Khalil's detention runs afoul of his constitutional rights — and if so, order him released: 'So, we're moving on both fronts and recognizing that we have the most powerful arguments and the most powerful audience in federal court.' _____
Reuters
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Lawsuit alleging racism in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' revived on appeal
April 10 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court has revived a civil rights lawsuit which alleges a south Louisiana parish engaged in discriminatory land-use practices that placed polluting industries in majority-Black communities on a stretch of land nicknamed "Cancer Alley." A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday held, opens new tab that a trial court judge was wrong to toss the case by three faith-based community groups in St. James Parish on grounds that it had not been brought in time. "Now we can finally get back to the urgent work of addressing the public health emergency caused by the parish's constant and easy approval of every request by any petrochemical company seeking to operate in these majority-Black communities," Pam Spees, a lawyer for the plaintiffs at the Center for Constitutional Rights, said in a statement. A lawyer for the parish did not respond to a request for comment. The groups – Inclusive Louisiana, Mt. Triumph Baptist Church and RISE St. James – sued in 2023, alleging that the disproportionate placement of petrochemical plants in majority Black areas violates the U.S. Constitution's 13th Amendment as a vestige of slavery and their equal protection rights under the 14th Amendment. The lawsuit said no major polluting facilities have been approved by the council in white communities in the parish in 46 years, while dozens of 'dangerous and extractive facilities' have been located in Black communities. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier had tossed those and other claims on grounds that the plaintiffs had sued too late over a land use plan the parish adopted in 2014 which categorized two heavily populated districts as "industrial," allowing plants to be built there. However, U.S. Circuit Judge Carl Stewart, writing for Wednesday's panel, said that the lawsuit was not challenging a discreet government action a decade ago but rather a longstanding pattern and practice of racially discriminatory land use decisions. Stewart, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, pointed to allegations that fell within the statute of limitations period which were not time-barred concerning actions the parish took in August 2022. At that time, the organizations alleged in their 2023 lawsuit, the parish declined to issue a moratorium on "polluting industry" in majority-Black communities while granting white residents' request for a moratorium on the solar industry. "While it is unclear at this pleading stage whether these alleged incidents of discrimination can ultimately prove a violation of the Organizations' constitutional or statutory rights, as alleged they plainly fall within the applicable one-year limitations period," Stewart wrote. He said the trial judge had also wrongly concluded that the groups lacked standing to pursue claims their religious rights were violated, saying they had raised sufficient allegations that the parish's land use practices restricted their access to the cemeteries of their enslaved ancestors. His opinion was joined by U.S. Circuit Judges Catharina Haynes, an appointee of Republican President George H.W. Bush, and Patrick Higginbotham, an appointee of Republican President Ronald Reagan. The case is Inclusive Louisiana v. St. James Parrish, 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 23-30908. For the plaintiffs: Pam Spees of Center for Constitutional Rights
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Judge Expected to Rule Within Days on Moving Mahmoud Khalil's Case From Louisiana
A Newark federal judge on Friday heard arguments on whether the case to free Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, should continue to play out in New Jersey or be transferred to Louisiana, a potentially more favorable venue for the government's case. The judge, Michael Farbiarz, did not make an immediate decision, but is expected to rule soon. Mr. Khalil, a legal permanent resident, was detained on March 8 at his New York City apartment, sent briefly to a New Jersey detention center and now has been held for nearly three weeks in a facility in Jena, La. While Mr. Khalil's lawyers are fighting for his freedom, the Trump administration is seeking to deport him, saying that he spread antisemitism through his involvement in the protests. If Mr. Khalil stays in Louisiana, his case could end up in one of America's most conservative appeals courts. Those judges could decide whether the government's rationale for detaining Mr. Khalil could be used in other cases. The case was originally filed in New York, but a judge there decided he lacked jurisdiction and that it should be heard in New Jersey. The attempts by Mr. Khalil's lawyers to free him have created a tangle of litigation, much of which has focused on a seemingly technical question: In which court should his case be heard? On Friday in Newark, Baher Azmy, a lawyer for Mr. Khalil and legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, argued in court that transferring the case to Louisiana would set a precedent for other activists to be moved without legal justification, which he called 'Kafkaesque.' The government's case against Mr. Khalil was undertaken 'in order to retaliate against constitutionally protected speech,' Mr. Azmy said. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
