The wife of a pro-Palestinian demonstrators Mahmoud Khalil gave birth to their first child while he remained in immigration and detention of customary enforcement.
Khalil, who was detained at the detention center in Jena, Louisiana, was refused a request for a temporary release to meet their sons, according to emails reviewed by ABC News.
Lawyer Khalil asked for two weeks leave, noting that his wife, Dr. Abdalla, has given birth to “eight days earlier than expected,” an email addressed to the Director of the New Orleans EC Ero Mellissa B. Harper showed.
In the email, lawyers also recommend that Khalil can be placed in the ankle monitor and can check in with ICE.
Mahmoud Khalil spoke to media members about the rebellion for the rafah camp at Columbia University during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas in Gaza, in New York City, June 1, 2024.
Jeenah Moon/Reuters
Harper denied the request, writing in the email, “After considering the information sent and the review of your client’s case, your request to leave is rejected.”
Dr. Noor Abdalla released a statement after birth, saying, “My child and I should not navigate their first days on earth without Mahmoud. Ice and Trump’s government have stolen this time from our family in an effort to silence Mahmoud’s support for Palestinian freedom.”
On April 11, an immigration judge decided that Khalil could be released after the State Secretary Marco Rubio requested a part of the law that considers it to be deported because, the government claimed, its sustainable presence in the US would have detrimental consequences on foreign policy.
Judge Louisiana has given Khalil’s lawyer deadline April 23 to submit an application for assistance to stop deportation. The judge said that if they failed to make a deadline, he would submit an order to remove to Syria or Algeria.
While a student at Columbia University, Khalil is part of the leadership group that protested the war in Gaza. Khalil took part in the negotiations with the school administrator who demanded the institution to decide on relations with Israel and release from Israeli companies. Khalil completed a postgraduate study in Columbia in December and will graduate in spring.
He was arrested with immigration and customs enforcement in his Columbia Housing in March.