A federal judge has declined to order the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, despite a recent ruling against the Trump administration’s efforts to detain him. Khalil, a green-card holder and former Columbia University student, has been detained since March without being charged with a crime, missing the birth of his son in the process.

Judge Michael E Farbiarz ruled that the Trump administration could no longer detain Khalil on the basis of national security threats, deeming deportation attempts on those grounds likely unconstitutional. Despite this ruling, Khalil remains detained as the government argues he lied on his green-card application, justifying his continued detention.

Khalil’s lawyers argued for his immediate release, stating that the government’s claims about his application were a pretext to keep him detained. Farbiarz, however, found insufficient evidence to deem the detention based on green-card claims unlawful, suggesting that Khalil’s attorneys could seek bail from an immigration judge in Louisiana.

Advocates, including Khalil’s attorneys and celebrity fathers in a Father’s Day campaign, have called for his freedom, denouncing his detention as unjust retaliation for his pro-Palestinian activism. Khalil has refuted the government’s allegations regarding his green-card application, maintaining that he did not provide false information.

The case has sparked controversy, with civil rights advocates criticizing the government’s actions as a crackdown on lawful free speech. Despite the setbacks, Khalil’s supporters remain determined to secure his release and reunite him with his family.