Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist at the center of a high-profile deportation case, was released Friday evening from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Jena, Louisiana, after spending over 100 days in custody.
Wearing a keffiyeh—a traditional Palestinian scarf symbolic of resistance—Khalil emerged from the facility smiling and raising his fists, accompanied by one of his attorneys.
“Justice has finally prevailed, but it took far too long. This should never have taken three months,” he told reporters, adding that he looked forward to reuniting with his wife and meeting his newborn son, who was born while he was detained.
Federal Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered Khalil’s release on bail, ruling that he does not pose a flight risk or threat to public safety. “He is not a danger to the community. Period. Full stop,” the judge said, according to CNN.
In his ruling, Judge Farbiarz cited “extraordinary circumstances,” suggesting that Khalil’s prolonged detention appeared retaliatory, in connection to his prominent role in last year’s pro-Palestinian student protests and negotiations at Columbia University.
The court rejected both legal arguments offered by the government: first, that Khalil’s presence undermines national interests; second, that he provided false information in his green card application.
“It’s extremely unlikely that a lawful permanent resident would be held on the sole basis of a mistake in an immigration form,” Farbiarz said during Friday’s hearing.
Khalil’s attorneys accused the government of using him as an example to intimidate other politically engaged students.
“In 20 years of defending immigrant rights, I have never seen a case where the government declared, on the very day of arrest, that it was doing so to send a message—announcing this would be the first in a series of arrests targeting student protesters,” said Alina Das, one of Khalil’s attorneys, in court.
Another member of Khalil’s legal team, Baher Azmy, told CNN that the court acknowledged the chilling effect of the detention.
“The judge concluded there was no reason to keep Mahmoud in custody given the serious harm to his rights and the rights of others.”
Although he is now free, Khalil still faces removal proceedings. His legal team learned during Friday’s hearing that Immigration Judge Jamee Comans in Louisiana had reaffirmed her ruling ordering his deportation—a decision Khalil’s lawyers plan to appeal.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security defended its actions, saying:
“The Trump administration acted within its statutory and constitutional authority in detaining Mahmoud Khalil.”
The administration has argued that Khalil’s continued presence is incompatible with its foreign policy priorities, specifically its stance against antisemitism. His attorneys maintain he was singled out for his pro-Palestinian views, in violation of his constitutional rights.
“There is at least some indication that the immigration charges are being used here to punish the petitioner,” Judge Farbiarz said. “And that, of course, would be unconstitutional.”
As part of his release conditions, Khalil surrendered his passport to immigration authorities and is prohibited from traveling internationally. His movement is restricted to several U.S. states. However, Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer ruled that he does not have to report regularly to ICE in New York, CNN reported.
When asked whether Khalil would continue his activism, his attorney Baher Azmy responded without hesitation:
“He’s a peace activist, an international human rights advocate, and he’s Palestinian. I don’t expect he’ll ever stop speaking out for justice and for an end to the slaughter and starvation of his people.”
Khalil is the latest pro-Palestinian student activist in the U.S. to be released after being detained. Several others arrested in similar crackdowns have also been freed in recent months.
His release represents a setback for the Trump administration and pro-Israel groups that had pushed for Khalil’s deportation, despite his legal permanent resident status.
Source: CNN
