A judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s argument for detaining Mahmoud Khalil on grounds that he was undermining U.S. foreign policy.
The administration must release Khalil by Friday, ruled District Judge Michael Farbiarz, according to The Hill. The administration had detained the green-card holder on those grounds, though it has since argued he did not accurately complete his application for the document.
Farbiarz confirmed that, under such assertions, the administration may find a different justification for keeping him detained.
“To be sure, it might be argued that the Petitioner would be detained anyway,” he wrote. “After all, as noted above, the Department of Homeland Security is seeking to remove the Petitioner based not only on the Secretary of State’s determination — but also on a second basis, the Petitioner’s alleged failure to accurately complete his lawful-permanent-resident application.”
