US EditionColumbia protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from immigration detention
UNITED STATES, JUN 21 – Federal judge ruled Khalil posed no flight risk or danger and criticized prolonged detention amid concerns over free speech and political activism targeting, after 104 days in custody.
- Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student arrested on March 8, was granted bail and released from an immigration center in Louisiana on June 20 before returning to New Jersey the following day.
- His detention followed participation in pro-Palestine campus protests amid the ongoing war in Gaza, with the government alleging national security risks and residency application fraud despite him facing no criminal charges.
- Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled Khalil was not a flight risk or danger to the community, calling the lengthy detention highly unusual and rejecting the government's foreign policy justification for holding him.
- Khalil criticized his detention as retaliation for political speech, saying “Justice prevailed, but it’s very long overdue,” while the government filed notice appealing his release; his wife expressed relief at his return home.
- Although free on bail, Khalil must surrender his passport and travel only within the U.S. for family and court matters, while his lawyers continue to challenge deportation amid broader concerns over suppression of pro-Palestinian activism.
426 Articles
426 Articles
Khalil release invigorates advocates, but long legal fight lies ahead
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Anti-Semitic Acts of Terror Are a 'Direct Result' of US Support to Israel, Mahmoud Khalil Says
In his first broadcast interview since his release from detention, Mahmoud Khalil blamed the United States’ "unconditional support" of Israel for the recent string of anti-Semitic attacks. "What is happening is a direct result of the U.S. unconditional [sic] support to Israel. People want to be heard. And unfortunately, they are [resorting] to violence to […]The post WATCH: Anti-Semitic Acts of Terror Are a 'Direct Result' of US Support to Israe…
Freed on Friday, it became the symbol of tensions between Trump and the pro-Palestinian movements on campus.
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