Judge Orders Release of Detained Activist Mahmoud Khalil
JENA, La. – Mahmoud khalil, a former Columbia university student, walked free from federal detention in Louisiana Friday night after a judge ruled his continued detainment was not justified. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, N.J., stated that prosecutors failed to provide sufficient reason for Khalil’s 104-day detention by Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE) as March 8.
Khalil, a Syrian national and permanent U.S. resident, had organized campus protests supporting Hamas while studying at Columbia University in New york City. These actions, the government argued, ran counter to U.S.foreign policy. The judge, appointed by President Joe Biden, called the government’s persistence in detaining Khalil “highly, highly unusual.”
Farbiarz voiced concerns that the immigration charge appeared to be a pretext to punish Khalil for his political views, which he said would be unconstitutional. Khalil was ordered to surrender his passport and travel documents and is restricted to residing in four states and washington, D.C.
During his detention, Khalil missed the birth of his first child in April, tho he was later allowed to hold his son in custody in May.His wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, is a U.S. citizen.
Wearing a kaffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, Khalil addressed supporters after his release. “No person should actually be detained for protesting a genocide,” Khalil said. “Justice will prevail.”
Abdalla released a statement through the ACLU of New Jersey, expressing relief at Khalil’s release. “After more than three months we can finaly breathe a sigh of relief and know that Mahmoud is on his way home,” she said. She added that the ruling does not address the broader injustices faced by those speaking out against Israel. She emphasized the importance of his role as a voice for Palestinian freedom.
Alina das, one of Khalil’s lawyers, argued that the government’s actions were intended to ensure Khalil’s deportation as punishment for his speech.
In a letter to his newborn son, Deen, khalil wrote of his anguish at missing his son’s birth. “Why do faceless politicians have the power to strip human beings of their divine moments?” he asked, reflecting on the shared experience of fathers in the detention center.
The legal battle saw Farbiarz initially order Khalil’s release June 11, determining the government could no longer detain him based on foreign policy concerns. However,two days later,the Justice Department argued Khalil could be detained for allegedly omitting prior work history on his residency submission,leading to a continuation of his detention.
The Justice Department sought to have an immigration judge review the case, but Farbiarz deemed it a “waste of time,” anticipating the same conclusion.
Khalil’s case follows other instances of pro-Palestinian activists being released as their immigration cases proceed. In april, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, allowing for the deportation of non-citizens whose presence could have adverse foreign policy consequences.
ICE, a part of Homeland security, carried out the arrest. khalil, born in 1995, grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria before obtaining permanent U.S. residency.
What’s next
Khalil is expected to return to New York to reunite with his family as his immigration case continues to move through the courts. The focus will likely shift to whether the government pursues deportation based on alleged discrepancies in his residency application.
