New York, New York - Palestinian activist and green card holder Mahmoud Khalil has filed an emergency petition to be returned to New York after he was detained by US immigration authorities and transferred to a facility in Louisiana.

Immigration officials detained Khalil – a permanent US resident – on Saturday, sparking widespread backlash. He is currently behind held without charges at the notorious LaSalle Detention Facility in Jena, Louisiana, run by the private prison company GEO Group.

The new petition – filed on Khalil’s behalf by the CUNY School of Law's Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility project and the Center for Constitutional Rights – requests his return to the New York City area amid an ongoing case challenging the legality of his detention.

Khalil is a graduate of Columbia, where he played a crucial role in mediation between school administrators and student protesters opposed to the university's failure to divest from Israel amid the ongoing atrocities in Palestine.

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During the raid, ICE officers initially said Khalil's student visa was being revoked. They refused to release Khalil – whose US citizen wife is eight months pregnant – even after it became clear he had a green card.

Khalil's wife and legal representatives had no clue of his whereabouts for a full day after his arrest.

"It feels like my husband was kidnapped from home, and at a time when we were supposed to be planning to welcome our first child into this world," Khalil’s wife said in a press release. "Everyone who has met Mahmoud can attest to his exceptional character, kindness, and deep commitment to helping others. The overwhelming support we have received is a testament to the profound impact he has on those around him."

US District Judge Jesse M. Furman in Manhattan ruled Monday that Khalil could not be deported "unless and until the Court orders otherwise."

In a bid to silence protesters, the Trump administration announced it was cutting $400 million in federal grants to Columbia while threatening the student visas of Palestine liberation activists.

Amid this intensified crackdown, Zeteo revealed that Khalil had appealed to Columbia for protection just one day before his arrest.

The outlet shared the text of a March 7 email Khalil sent to Columbia interim president Katrina Armstrong, reading, "Since yesterday, I have been subjected to a vicious, coordinated, and dehumanizing doxxing campaign led by Columbia affiliates Shai Davidai and David Lederer who, among others, have labeled me a security threat and called for my deportation."

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"Their attacks have incited a wave of hate, including calls for my deportation and death threats. I have outlined the wider context below, yet Columbia has not provided any meaningful support or resources in response to this escalating threat," the message continued.

"I haven't been able to sleep, fearing that ICE or a dangerous individual might come to my home. I urgently need legal support, and I urge you to intervene and provide the necessary protections to prevent further harm."

Trump on Monday described Khalil's detention as "the first arrest of many to come," adding, "We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country – never to return again."