Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate who was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), was denied permission to attend the birth of his first child, several reports were confirmed Monday.
Khalil’s lawyers requested Melissa Harper, director of Ice’s field office in New Orleans, on Sunday, to be released from custody for two weeks to be with his wife when he gave birth to his son. CNN reported.
About 30 minutes later, Harper denied the request, saying he dismissed it as “after considering the information submitted and reviews” of the Halil case.
According to the statement Share onlineHaril’s wife, Dr. Noor Abdallah, said he had welcomed his son into the world.
“This was a deliberate decision by ice to make me, Mahmoud and our son suffer,” she said.
Halil’s lawyer noted that his wife had early contractions and thought it was reasonable for her parents to have both parents to give birth.
Green card holder Halil has been in custody for more than a month.
He was targeted last year for his position as the chief negotiator for a pro-Palestinian camp on the Columbia University campus.
The Khalil case has been widely published and is seen as a key marker of the Trump administration’s attempt to deport visa holders who are engaged in Palestinian efforts.
The graduate said his detention was illegal and there was no evidence of the regime beyond his support for the Palestinians. In OP-ED, he recently detailed the conditions of detention and compared “several aspects” to Nazi concentration camps.
A spokesman for his legal team told CNN that Khalil could experience the birth of his son over the phone, and that both his mother and son are in good health.
A judge earlier this month found that Halil was eligible to be taken away from the country and his lawyer was in the process of sueing a decision. They are also seeking his release in federal court.
