Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate who has been in immigration detention in Louisiana for more than a month, was barred from attending the birth of his firstborn child Monday, after immigration officials denied him permission to attend the birth in person, according to emails reviewed by CNN.
On Sunday morning, attorneys for Khalil wrote to Melissa Harper, director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in New Orleans, requesting that Khalil be released from detention for two weeks so he could travel to New York and be with his wife when she delivered their son.
Khalil’s case has sparked a firestorm of controversy since he was arrested outside his Columbia University residence where he was living with his then-pregnant wife, a US citizen.
“Mr. Khalil’s wife has just gone into labor this morning in New York City, eight days earlier than expected,” Khalil’s attorneys wrote. “A two-week furlough in this civil detention matter would be both reasonable and humane so that both parents can be present for the birth of their first child.”
The email goes on to say Khalil and his attorneys would agree to any needed conditions to grant the furlough, including wearing a GPS ankle monitor and scheduled check-ins.
About 30 minutes after the email request was sent, Harper responded with a two-sentence denial, saying she had decided against granting the furlough “after consideration of the submitted information and a review of your client’s case.”
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Khalil, 30, is in custody at an ICE detention facility in Jena, Louisiana – over 1,000 miles away from his family. Khalil was able to experience his son’s birth on the phone, according to spokesperson for Khalil’s legal team. His wife and baby are both healthy.
Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, responded to the government’s decision in a statement Monday saying ICE and the Trump administration have stolen “precious moments” from their young family.
“My son and I should not be navigating his first days on earth without Mahmoud,” Abdalla said in the statement to CNN. “I will continue to fight every day for Mahmoud to come home to us. I know when Mahmoud is freed, he will show our son how to be brave, thoughtful, and compassionate, just like his dad.”
While Khalil has not been charged with a crime, the Trump administration has accused him of supporting Hamas, although they have not presented any evidence in court.
This month, an immigration judge found Khalil is removable from the United States, and his attorneys are appealing the decision. Separately, Khalil’s attorneys are pursuing a case in federal court that challenges the legality of his detention and seeks his release.
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