A federal judge has refused to order pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil’s release after a last-minute response from Trump administration officials arguing for his continued imprisonment based on “false and pretextual allegations,” the activists’ legal team has said.

The Trump Administration pushes back on a New Jersey federal judge's order that would create a path for Mahmoud Khalil's release from detention.

Mahmoud Khalil’s hopes of being freed on bond as he continues fighting the Trump administration’s efforts to deport him were dashed Friday, despite a judge saying the government could no longer hold Khalil on the premise that his presence in the country is against the national interest.