A US federal judge ordered the continued detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil on Friday evening during his first court appearance following his arrest for leading pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the United States.

During a court hearing in New Jersey, Federal District Court Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark ordered that activist Khalil remain in detention at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana.

Farbiarz refused to listen to arguments on whether the Palestinian activist, who holds a green card, should be released.

Khalil, who did not attend the hearing, remains in custody at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana, two weeks after his arrest.

In this context, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Newark, New Jersey, courthouse during Khalil's trial, in support of the Palestinian activist.

Some protesters carried signs demanding Khalil's release, while others criticized President Donald Trump and his administration's harsh stance toward international students studying at US universities on student visas.

On March 9, US authorities arrested Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who led solidarity protests at Columbia University last year to condemn Tel Aviv's genocide in Gaza.