Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student who became a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian protests across US campuses, was released from a federal immigration facility on Friday after spending over three months in detention.
Khalil, a US permanent resident married to an American citizen and father to a US-born child, was detained in March and faced possible deportation. Speaking to reporters outside the detention centre in Jena, Louisiana while wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, Khalil said his months in custody were unjust.
“This should never have taken three months,” he said. “Trump and his administration picked the wrong person. In fact, no one should be detained for protesting against genocide.”
His release was ordered by District Judge Michael Farbiarz, whose decision drew criticism from the Department of Homeland Security. The agency accused the judiciary of endangering national security by undermining executive immigration authority.
Khalil’s release terms prohibit him from leaving the US unless he chooses to self-deport and limit his travel within the country. His wife, Noor Abdalla, a dentist from Michigan, expressed relief at the ruling.
“We can finally breathe again knowing Mahmoud is coming home,” she said. “But this doesn’t undo the injustice we’ve faced. The Trump administration is targeting people like my husband for opposing Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine.”
Khalil’s arrest became emblematic of former president Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism, launched under the banner of fighting antisemitism amid the Gaza conflict.
When arrested by ICE on March 8, Khalil was still a graduate student at Columbia University in New York and a visible leader in campus demonstrations against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Following his detention, authorities transferred him nearly 2,000 kilometres to Louisiana, where he awaited possible deportation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked a Cold War-era law enabling the removal of foreign nationals deemed hostile to US foreign policy. Rubio argued that free speech protections do not extend to non-citizens, and that he alone had authority to make such determinations, without court oversight.
The government also accused Khalil of making inaccurate statements in his green card application, using this as additional justification for his detention.
Farbiarz’s ruling rejected the government’s claims that Khalil posed a national security threat based solely on Rubio’s assertions. His legal team, including the ACLU of New Jersey, hailed the decision.
“This is a vital step toward protecting Mr Khalil’s rights as he continues to face unlawful government targeting for his support of Palestinian rights,” said Amol Sinha, the ACLU chapter’s executive director.
Since March, hundreds of foreign students in the US have had their visas revoked for a variety of reasons, with many claiming they were punished for activism or even minor infractions.
