Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who has been under federal detention for more than a week, said he was targeted for his activism — and as part of the Trump administration's "broader strategy to suppress dissent.

Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University Palestinian graduate student who the Trump administration is seeking to deport for his role in pro-Palestinian protests, called himself a political prisoner on Tuesday,

A federal judge in New York ordered the case of Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil be transferred from New York to New Jersey where his lawyers will continue their legal efforts for his release.

A pro-Palestinian activist who led protests at Columbia University will have his case heard in New Jersey, a judge ruled Wednesday.

The decision offers a venue compromise in the bellwether case, while Khalil's legal team seeks to release him from detention and block his deportation.