Federal Judge Orders Release of Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil

A federal judge has announced that Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil will be released from immigration detention.

Judge Michael Farbears made this ruling on Friday during a session in a New Jersey federal court. Khalil, who is a graduate of Columbia University, requested the court to grant him bail so he could be freed from a Louisiana prison. If that doesn’t happen, he would be transferred to New Jersey, which would allow him to be closer to his wife and newborn son.

Khalil was notably the first individual arrested under former President Donald Trump’s initiative targeting students involved in protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Khalil should be deported, asserting that his continued presence in the U.S. could negatively impact American foreign policy.

Previously, the same judge allowed the government to continue detaining Khalil based on allegations that he had lied in his green card application. Khalil contests this claim. The judge ruled earlier that he could not be held simply due to the Secretary of State’s position on potential foreign policy issues.

As a legal resident of the U.S., Khalil was apprehended on March 8th after joining a pro-Palestinian protest in Manhattan. His legal team argues that the Trump administration is overstepping by stifling freedom of speech.

Throughout the protests at Columbia, Khalil did not face legal accusations, despite being a prominent figure in news reports and an outspoken advocate. Critics have suggested that his visibility has made him a target.

According to the Trump administration, non-citizens who engage in protests like Khalil’s should be expelled due to perceived anti-Semitic sentiments.

This is an ongoing story, and updates may follow.