A federal district court declined to say whether the US government’s case against Mahmoud Khalil, the prominent pro-Palestinian activist detained by immigration officers, should be heard in New Jersey.

Palestinian activist and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil will remain in federal immigration custody as a federal judge weighs whether New Jersey is the right place to hear the case.

Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student the Trump administration is trying to expel from the U.S. because of his role in pro-Palestinian campus protests, appeared on

Columbia University has largely maintained the size of its application pool — despite campus protests over Gaza and scrutiny by the federal government that have besieged the university over the

Students and neighbors are suing the school, magnifying the broader complaint that institutions stifle free expression when they restrict access to public spaces following protests.

Faced with the Trump administration’s crackdown and Columbia University's concessions, students say protesting simply isn’t worth the risk.