US judge to decide whether Columbia University must release disciplinary records of Mahmoud Khalil and other students to Congress

By Fatma Zehra Solmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - A US judge is set to decide whether New York’s Columbia University should be prevented from disclosing the confidential disciplinary records of graduate student Mahmoud Khalil – who the Trump administration is seeking to deport – and seven others to a congressional committee.

During a hearing on Tuesday, US District Judge Arun Subramanian instructed attorneys representing both the students and the US government to provide any further arguments by Thursday. He said he would issue his ruling soon after that deadline, as reported by NBC.

Khalil and other plaintiffs sued Columbia and the House Education and Workforce Committee on March 13 to block a request for student disciplinary records. A Feb. 13 committee letter cited incidents such as last year’s Hamilton Hall occupation, protests against a lecture by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and allegations of antisemitic harassment.

Khalil and the other plaintiffs, all identified under assumed names in the lawsuit, claim that the committee’s letter is meant to "chill the protected speech of University’s students."

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan’s US District Court, names Columbia University, its interim President Katrina Armstrong, its board of trustees, Barnard College, its President Laura Ann Rosenbury, the House committee, and its chair, Rep. Tim Walberg.

A committee spokesperson directed NBC News to a statement posted Tuesday on X, which reads: "Nothing in the Constitution requires duly-elected Members of Congress to sit idly by as a wave of antisemitism sweeps over our nation’s college campuses, leading to discrimination against Jewish students at institutions of higher education receiving billions of dollars in federal funds."

Khalil, a graduate student involved in last year’s Gaza protests, was arrested this month. The Trump administration used a clause in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify his detention, claiming his presence could harm US foreign policy, and is seeking his deportation.

Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent, filed a lawsuit to contest his deportation. His attorney said the government is targeting his "constitutionally protected speech and advocacy on behalf of Palestinian human rights," warning that if dissenting speech leads to deportation, "we’re all in pretty serious trouble."

The Trump administration filed new allegations against Khalil, claiming he hid information about his membership in certain groups and his job at the Syria Office in the British Embassy. Khalil’s lawyer denied the claims, stating his internships were approved by Columbia. Khalil’s wife called the allegations "ridiculous," saying the government is "grasping at straws."

Khalil's detention led to national outrage, with other students also arrested or facing visa issues. The Trump administration also stripped Columbia of $400 million in federal grants. In response, Columbia agreed to several demands, including hiring more security officers. The American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers on Tuesday sued, claiming the funding threats violate academic freedom.