A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student who had been held in US immigration detention for more than three months. Khalil, a legal permanent resident and prominent figure in campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in March at his Manhattan apartment.
US District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Khalil posed no flight risk or danger to the community and criticized the government’s justification for holding him. He found the government had “clearly not met” the standards for detention.
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Khalil’s arrest and detention made him a central figure in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on foreign nationals involved in pro-Palestinian protests. The administration has argued that such activists threaten national security and should be deported, citing a 1950s-era law invoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Civil rights groups say the law is being misused to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
Khalil was not charged with any crime and was not among those arrested during the Columbia protests. Still, his high profile drew criticism from administration officials who accused him of supporting Hamas.
While Farbiarz blocked deportation based on foreign policy claims, he allowed proceedings to continue over alleged inaccuracies in Khalil’s green card application. Khalil, now reunited with his US citizen wife and newborn son, said, “Justice will prevail, no matter what this administration may try to portray.”