A federal judge has ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and U.S. permanent resident, after more than three months in immigration detention. Khalil was freed Friday evening, June 20th, following a ruling that found no legal justification for his continued confinement.
Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate, was detained in March near his Manhattan apartment. His arrest came amid a wave of detentions linked to pro-Palestinian student protests across the country. While many others were released shortly after their arrests, Khalil remained held in a Louisiana facility, missing both his graduation and the birth of his child.
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Khalil did not pose a threat to public safety or risk of flight. In his decision, the judge criticized the government’s case, calling it “highly, highly unusual,” and suggested it may have been retaliatory in nature. Farbiarz also expressed concern that Khalil’s detention could amount to unconstitutional punishment for political activism.
The Trump administration initially justified Khalil’s arrest using foreign policy statutes. Later, officials claimed there were inconsistencies in his green card application, but the court found those allegations unsubstantiated.
After his release from the ICE detention center in Jena, Louisiana, Khalil expressed relief but criticized the lengthy process, saying the ordeal should not have lasted three months. He also shared his anticipation to reunite with his wife and meet his newborn son.
Khalil also criticized broader conditions at the facility, alleging inhumane treatment of other detainees. His wife, Noor Abdalla, welcomed the ruling but said it fell short of addressing the full extent of the ordeal.
Although released, Khalil still faces ongoing deportation proceedings. His attorneys plan to appeal a separate ruling by an immigration judge who ordered his removal from the U.S.
