Washington DC - US government lawyers pushed Friday for the case of a pro-Palestinian protest leader slated for deportation to be moved to a Louisiana court thought to be sympathetic to President Donald Trump's hardline immigration crackdown.

Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil – a prominent face of the protest movement that erupted in response to Israel's assault on Gaza – was arrested and taken to Louisiana earlier this month, sparking protests.

Several other foreign student protesters have been similarly targeted in an alarming crackdown on free political speech.

The government has not accused Khalil of any crime but instead ordered his deportation and cancellation of his green card resident's permit on the grounds of undermining US foreign policy.

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At a hearing in New Jersey, government lawyer August Flentje said that "for jurisdictional certainty, the case belongs in Louisiana."

But Khalil's lawyer, Baher Azmy, accused the government of seeking to move the case to bolster its "retaliation".

The judge said he would not rule immediately on shifting the case to the Western District of Louisiana, a more conservative bench that has previously been sympathetic to Trump's policies.

Khalil was not present, but his wife Noor attended with several supporters.

His arrest has triggered widespread outrage and sparked demonstrations nationwide as activists warn the case will have a chilling effect on freedom of expression.

Many, including Khalil himself, see him as a political prisoner.

Immigration officers have similarly detained and sought to deport a Tufts University student from Turkey, Rumeysa Ozturk, and Columbia student Yunseo Chung. Their deportations have been blocked for now by courts.

Ozturk's lawyer said Thursday that "we should all be horrified at the way [officers] abducted Rumeysa in broad daylight" after footage of masked, plainclothes officers surrounding the veiled student circulated online.

Dozens protested in support of Khalil outside the New Jersey courthouse, holding Palestinian flags and banners.

"We are going to fight this witch hunt," said one protester, who did not want to be identified.

As well as targeting foreign students at Columbia University, the Trump administration has sought to slash $400 million of federal funding and grants over Palestine solidarity protests on campus.