Mahmoud Khalil asks Supreme Court to let federal courts hear his case

(Oct. 20, 2026 / JNS)

Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to review a ruling that bars a federal district court from hearing a constitutional challenge to his immigration detention while removal proceedings continue. Khalil shared the petition on X.

In the post, Khalil claimed that the government was trying to keep federal courts from examining his case. He accused it of seeking to “channel it into its kangaroo immigration courts.”

“If the Trump administration can punish someone for pro-Palestine speech, this or any future administration can punish anyone for any speech,” he tweeted.

In May, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to overturn a panel ruling that a district judge lacked jurisdiction to release Khalil from detention. His lawyer then pledged to appeal to the Supreme Court.

In April, the Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals had ruled that Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident, is subject to deportation.

The government alleges he omitted key information on his permanent residency application, including his work with the terror-tied U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from June to November 2023.