A federal appeals panel has reversed a lower court decision that released former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from an immigration jail, bringing the government one step closer to detaining and ultimately deporting the Palestinian activist. A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia instructed the lower court on Thursday to dismiss Khalil's habeas petition, a court filing that secured his release. The panel ruled that the federal district court in New Jersey did not have jurisdiction over the matter because immigration challenges are handled differently under the law. Khalil called the decision "deeply disappointing."

A federal judge says the Trump administration unconstitutionally targeted noncitizens for deportation over pro-Palestinian protests. U.S. District Judge William Young issued the ruling on Tuesday, agreeing with the plaintiffs that the policy they describe as ideological deportation violates the First Amendment. The decision came after a trial in which plaintiffs presented witnesses who testified that the Trump administration had launched a coordinated effort to target students and scholars who had criticized Israel or showed sympathy for Palestinians. An email to the Homeland Security department for comment was not immediately returned.