A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Mahmoud Khalil, a former green card holder who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University where pamphlets written by Hamas state media were distributed, could challenge the Trump administration’s right to detain him for deportation.

District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Khalil’s lawsuit against the government must be heard. Khalil’s lawsuit against the Trump administration is focused on a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention.