Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian activist, is facing additional immigration charges amid a complex legal battle.

Khalil, arrested earlier this month, is accused of spreading Hamas propaganda and failing to disclose previous work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on his permanent resident application, according to the Department of Justice. The UNRWA has faced accusations of supporting Hamas in Gaza.

A legal, permanent U.S. resident, Khalil is married to an American. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said “there’s no free card that you can do whatever you want. There are very basic, very basic standards for all of us.”

Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, who is expecting their first child, expressed frustration in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, saying, “I think it’s ridiculous. It’s disgusting that that’s what they’re resorting to that’s the that they’re using.”

Khalil appeared briefly Friday in immigration court at a remote Louisiana detention center, according to the Associated Press. His lawyer participated via video and an immigration judge set a fuller hearing for April 8.

Lawyers for Khalil last week challenged in federal court his detention and potential deportation. A federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that Khalil can contest the legality of his detention but the case should be moved to a federal court in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, the White House has withdrawn $400 million in federal funds from Columbia University, citing concerns over alleged antisemitism on campus. To have the funds reinstated, Columbia has agreed to several demands from Washington, including banning masks on campus, hiring 36 security officers with arrest powers and reviewing curriculum related to the Middle East.

Khalil is not the only student under scrutiny. Immigration authorities are also targeting a Georgetown student, while another Columbia University student has self-deported.

Additionally, a Cornell student from Gambia, Momodou Taal, is legally challenging one of President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at foreign national protesters. Taal was temporarily suspended from Cornell in April and September of 2024 for his role in pro-Palestinian campus protests. Taal has now been asked to surrender to Immigration and Customs Enforcement ahead of a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Have a news tip? Contact Kayla Gaskins at kgaskins@sbgtv.com or at x.com/kaylagaskinsTV.