Overview
- Khalil's legal team, which filed the motion Friday, asked the Board of Immigration Appeals to reopen the case and terminate it.
- The board issued a final removal order on April 9 after what his lawyers and The New York Times describe as a nine-day, fast-tracked review that saw three judges recuse.
- The filing says the board steered the lower judge, bypassed normal docketing, and labeled him as if still in detention to speed the case.
- A separate federal lawsuit over alleged constitutional violations now bars ICE from re-arresting or deporting him, and he remains with his US citizen wife and child.
- The immigration appeals system sits inside the Justice Department rather than the independent judiciary, which has fueled concern about political sway over cases tied to pro-Palestinian protests.