Call for Transparency After Public Denied Remote Access to Khalil Hearing
The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) recently signed on to a letter spearheaded by the Freedom of the Press Foundation calling on the U.S. government to allow journalists remote access to Mahmoud Khalil’s immigration hearings, which are underway in Louisiana.
On April 8, 2025, nearly 600 people reportedly attempted to observe court proceedings related to Mr. Khalil’s immigration case, but remote access was denied, including to at least three journalists. While in-person attendance was allowed, advocates are urging the court to permit online access for future hearings.
The letter, also signed by a coalition of press freedom organizations such as PEN America and the First Amendment Foundation, notes the widespread public and media interest in the case—both nationally and internationally—and emphasizes that travel to Louisiana is not feasible for many journalists and members of the public. Granting remote access, they argue, would promote transparency, strengthen public trust, and ensure broader coverage and understanding of the case.
The full text of the letter is below.
April 10, 2025
The Honorable Jamee E. Comans
830 Pine Hill Road
P.O. Box 2179
Jena, LA 71342
Via email to LaSalle.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov
Re: Remote public access to Mahmoud Khalil immigration hearings
Dear Judge Comans,
We are nonprofit organizations dedicated to defending press freedom. We write to request that you allow journalists and members of the public to remotely observe any further immigration proceedings in your court regarding Mahmoud Khalil.
According to news reports, on April 8, 2025, nearly 600 people attempted to remotely observe proceedings in your court related to Mr. Khalil’s immigration status. You denied a request by Mr. Khalil’s attorney to allow the public online access to the proceeding. We are aware of at least three journalists who were unable to access the proceeding remotely as a result. There were likely many more.
We appreciate that members of the press and the public were able to attend the April 8 hearing in person to observe and report on the hearing. However, we request that you allow remote access to future proceedings for journalists and members of the public who are unable to attend hearings in person, including an upcoming hearing planned for April 11, 2025.
If that hearing or future hearings are to be held entirely remotely, applicable regulations require that the public be allowed access. But even if in-person attendance is an option, providing remote access is the transparent — and right — thing to do.
Mr. Khalil’s case has been the subject of immense public interest across the United States and around the world. It has been covered by everyone from major newspapers and network news to smaller news outlets, independent journalists, and student journalists, among others.
The interest in this case extends far beyond Louisiana. While some national and international news outlets may be able to send journalists to cover the proceedings in person, for others, in-person attendance is impossible or prohibitively expensive. The same is true for members of the public who may wish to observe the proceedings firsthand. Journalists and others from New York, where Mr. Khalil has lived for some time, are unlikely to be able to travel to Louisiana to attend hearings.
Online access would let the public and journalists who are unable to attend proceedings in person observe them report their observations to others. This access would improve public understanding of and trust in our immigration courts, as well as the justice system as a whole.
Numerous courts at both the state and federal levels permit remote access by the public and the press to proceedings, sometimes including trials. The United States Supreme Court provides a live feed of audio of its oral arguments. There is no reason why immigration courts cannot do the same, in Mr. Khalil’s case or similar cases that may come before this Court in the future.
Thank you for considering this request. If you have any questions, please contact Seth Stern, Director of Advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, at seth@freedom.press
Sincerely,
Freedom of the Press Foundation
Courage Foundation
Defending Rights & Dissent
First Amendment Coalition
First Amendment Foundation
Free Press
Media and Democracy Project
National Press Photographers Association
PEN America
Radio Television Digital News Association
Whistleblower & Source Protection Program (WHISPeR) at ExposeFacts
Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA
