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 New York federal judge transferred Khalil’s petition to New Jersey, where the court will determine whether to order Khalil’s release from an ICE detention center in Louisiana. The government previously argued that the New York court didn’t have jurisdiction over Khalil’s case.

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.