New Jersey: A US judge has ordered the release of the Columbia graduate and well-known pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, from immigration detention, marking a significant win for civil rights groups who argued he was unlawfully targeted.
An outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by immigration authorities on March 8 at his university residence in Manhattan. Khalil was detained for 104 days at a facility in rural Louisiana while fighting allegations related to immigration fraud.
On June 21, US District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that the Department of Homeland Security must release Khalil by Friday evening, stating that the government did not prove he posed a flight risk or threat. Farbiarz also noted concerns that Khalil’s detention appeared to punish him for his political speech, which would breach constitutional protections.
Khalil’s lawyers insist he has not committed fraud and say his detention is politically motivated. Khalil’s wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, has welcomed the ruling but criticized what she described as injustice inflicted on their family. Khalil’s infant son was born during his time in custody.
The White House has condemned the judge’s decision, claiming Khalil should be deported for actions deemed harmful to American foreign policy and for misrepresenting facts in his residency application. Government lawyers plan to appeal the ruling.
Despite the court ordering Khalil’s release, Khalil still faces deportation proceedings. Judge Farbiarz has temporarily blocked his removal while he considers Khalil’s constitutional challenge to the government’s actions.
Khalil joins other foreign pro-Palestinian students, such as Mohsen Mahdawi and Rumeysya Ozturk, who have been freed after similar arrests this year.
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