Appeals court temporarily blocks re-detention of Mahmoud Khalil

Decision gives Khalil, 31, temporary reprieve as his legal team prepares to petition his case to the supreme court A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the re-detention of Mahmoud Khalil as his legal team prepares to petition his case with the US supreme court. The decision on Tuesday from the third circuit court of appeals gives the 31-year-old activist and US green card holder a temporary reprieve as the broader legal fight over his detention and immigration status continues. In a statement following the ruling, Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Center for Democracy, said: “We’re grateful that the court recognized the irreparable harm Mahmoud would face if he were re-detained before the supreme court has a chance to review his case. “Detention would serve only to cruelly separate him from his family and further chill his speech. We look forward to asking the supreme court to make clear that the government cannot use the threat of detention and deportation to silence dissent,” Kaufman added. The case of Khalil, a Columbia University graduate born to Palestinian parents in Syria, has become a flashpoint across the US over free sp