Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil arrested for his role in campus protests against Israel disputed government claims, over his transfer to Louisiana facility despite initial detention in New Jersey, was due to bedbugs and alleged a political angle.
The Louisiana facility is over 1,000 miles from his home. His wife, who is eight months pregnant, called the arrest “terrifying.” She said that for 38 hours after his arrest, neither she nor their lawyers knew his whereabouts, making it a significant issue in details surrounding his arrest.
Khalil claimed that he was never told about bedbugs before being transferred to a Louisiana detention center. His lawyers argue the move was politically motivated and are seeking his release on bail.
In a declaration filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, Khalil said no one mentioned bedbugs while he was held overnight at a New Jersey detention center before being flown to Louisiana, as reported by the Associated Press . The US government, however, claims his transfer was due to a bedbug issue and overcrowded facilities in the Northeast. “Khalil could not be housed at Elizabeth Detention Facility long-term due to a bedbug issue, so he remained there until his flight to Louisiana,” the lawyers wrote.
The bedbugs claim
Justice Department lawyers said Khalil’s transfer was necessary because the Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey had a bedbug problem and could not house him long-term. According to court documents, he was held there for about nine hours before being moved to John F. Kennedy International Airport for a flight to Louisiana, a move that sparked deportation fear.
However, in his declaration, he described spending the night in a cold waiting room with about ten other people, sleeping on the floor without beds, mattresses, or blankets. “I did not hear anyone mention bedbugs,” he said.
His lawyers argue that the government’s explanation is misleading. They pointed out that the Elizabeth facility continued accepting new detainees while Khalil was there, suggesting the transfer was preplanned and motivated by his protest activities.
Khalil said he grew anxious when authorities told him he was being taken to JFK Airport instead of back to FBI headquarters in Manhattan, where he was first brought after his arrest. “I was afraid they were trying to deport me,” he recalled.
His lawyers are asking the court to block the government from detaining or deporting noncitizens who engage in constitutionally protected protests supporting Palestinian rights or criticizing Israel.
The Justice Department has requested that the case be handled by federal judges in New Jersey or Louisiana rather than in New York. A Manhattan judge has not yet ruled on the matter.
