NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - Detained Columbia

University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

must be allowed to meet with his wife, a federal judge ruled on

Wednesday.

The order by U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark,

New Jersey, comes after Khalil's wife, Noor Abdalla, said U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement denied her request to meet

with Khalil at the detention facility in Jena, Louisiana, where

he has been held for more than two months.

Abdalla, a dentist who gave birth to the couple's first

child last month, said in a statement she wanted Khalil to be

able to hold his newborn son for the first time.

The Trump administration arrested Khalil, 30, on March 8 and

is seeking to deport him over his participation in protests

against Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has resulted in

the deaths of thousands of Palestinians.

The State Department revoked his green card, which granted

him lawful permanent residence, under a little-used provision of

U.S. immigration law granting officials the right to deport any

non-citizen whose presence in the U.S. is deemed adverse to

Washington's interests.

Khalil, who entered the United States on a student visa, and

his supporters say his arrest and attempted deportation are

violations of his right to freedom of speech under the U.S.

Constitution's First Amendment.

Farbiarz, who is weighing Khalil's challenge to the

constitutionality of his arrest, said in a written ruling that

Khalil must be allowed to meet with his lawyers and his wife

before 10:30 a.m. CDT (1530 GMT) on Thursday.

Khalil has a hearing scheduled for Thursday before the

immigration judge in Louisiana who is considering his challenge

to his deportation, which is a separate process from the case

before Farbiarz.

In a court filing, Justice Department lawyers representing

the government said allowing Abdalla, a dentist, to join Khalil

and his legal team in the meeting raised "security concerns,"

without elaborating. They said the facility housed only male

detainees.

"There would be security concerns of allowing Dr. Abdalla to

join a secured portion where there is no space for co-ed

visitation," the lawyers wrote.

Farbiarz is still considering Khalil's bid for release.