Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate, was released Friday evening, June 20th, after spending over three months in a Louisiana immigration detention center. A federal judge ordered his release, finding no grounds to continue his confinement.
Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the United States, had been in custody since March after being arrested near his apartment at Columbia University. His case drew national attention as one of the first in a series of detentions targeting student protesters involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. While others arrested under similar circumstances were released weeks earlier, Khalil remained in custody, missing the birth of his son and his graduation.
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz determined that Khalil was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. He described the government’s efforts to justify continued detention as “highly, highly unusual” and pointed to indications that the case was driven by retaliation for Khalil’s activism.
During Friday’s hearing, Judge Farbiarz acknowledged that there appeared to be “at least something” to claims suggesting Khalil’s immigration case was being used as punishment for his activism, an action he warned “would be unconstitutional.”
The Trump administration initially cited foreign policy grounds for Khalil’s arrest, invoking a rarely used legal provision. The administration later added accusations of misrepresentation in Khalil’s green card application, which Judge Farbiarz dismissed as insufficient to warrant ongoing detention.
Upon his release from the facility in Jena, Louisiana, Khalil expressed both relief and concern, noting that although justice had prevailed, it was “long overdue” and the process “shouldn’t have taken three months.” He shared that he was eager to reunite with his wife and newborn son.
Khalil emphasized the treatment of other detainees, asserting that the administration was working to “dehumanize everyone here.” His wife, Noor Abdalla, remarked that she could finally “breathe a sigh of relief,” though she noted that the ruling did not address the broader injustices their family faced.
Despite his release, Khalil’s immigration case remains active. His legal team has announced plans to appeal a separate decision by an immigration judge in Louisiana who ordered his deportation.
