Jena: Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil was released from an immigration detention facility in rural Louisiana on Friday, marking a significant win for civil rights advocates who challenged his arrest as politically motivated.
Khalil, 30, had spent 104 days in custody following his March 8 arrest by immigration officials at his university residence in Manhattan. A vocal advocate for Palestinian rights and a critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, Khalil was the first known foreign student detained under a controversial Trump administration policy targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrators. President Donald Trump has labeled such protests antisemitic and has vowed to expel foreign students who participate.
After hearing arguments from both Khalil’s legal team and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered Khalil’s immediate release by Friday evening. Farbiarz ruled that the government had failed to show Khalil posed a flight risk or a threat to public safety. He further stated that there appeared to be a politically motivated attempt to use immigration law as a tool for punishment, a move he described as unconstitutional.
"This is a long overdue step toward justice," Khalil said after leaving the facility, wrapped in a keffiyeh and raising his fist in solidarity. "But no one should have to endure this just for exercising their right to free speech."
Khalil, a legal U.S. permanent resident originally from Syria, was reunited with his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, and their newborn son, who was born during his time in detention. Abdalla welcomed the judge’s decision but emphasized that it did not undo the harm inflicted on their family.
Khalil’s legal team, supported by the ACLU, argues that his detention violated his First Amendment rights. "This ruling reaffirms that the government cannot weaponize immigration law to silence dissent," said Noor Zafar, senior attorney at the ACLU.
While Judge Farbiarz’s ruling secured Khalil’s release, it did not end the broader legal battle. Khalil still faces deportation proceedings based on allegations of immigration fraud, which his lawyers deny. The immigration judge in his case had denied his asylum claim earlier on Friday and rejected his request for a bail hearing, decisions that Farbiarz’s ruling temporarily overrode.
The White House swiftly condemned the federal judge’s intervention. "There is no justification for a New Jersey judge to order the release of a detainee in Louisiana," said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, adding that the administration intends to appeal the decision.
Despite the legal uncertainty ahead, Khalil expressed determination to continue advocating for immigrant and Palestinian rights. "The people still inside these detention centers — they deserve justice too," he told reporters. "No human being should be treated as illegal."
Judge Farbiarz is expected to further review Khalil’s constitutional challenge to his deportation in the coming weeks. Until then, officials are barred from removing him from the country.
