Mahmoud Khalil Freed After Weeks‑Long ICE Detention \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University grad and Palestinian activist, was released after 104 days in a Louisiana immigration facility. Joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, he vowed to renew protests against U.S. funding of the Gaza war. A federal judge ruled his detention violated his free‑speech rights as legal battles continue.
Quick Looks
- 104 days in detention: Khalil, a green‑card holder, was detained under a rarely used immigration policy tied to foreign‑policy concerns.
- Judge cites First Amendment: District Judge Michael Farbiarz deemed continued detention “highly, highly unusual” without evidence of violence or flight risk.
- Immediate aftermath: Released Friday from Jena, Louisiana; surrendered passport and green card, now limited to travel in select states.
- Prominent reception: At Newark International, Khalil was greeted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez and supporters, praised for exercising freedom of speech.
- Continuing legal battle: The Trump administration has filed an appeal, and an immigration hearing on his residency is ongoing.
Deep Look
Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old Palestinian activist and legal U.S. resident, returned to New Jersey on Saturday after enduring more than three months in federal immigration detention. The former Columbia University graduate student arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport to a hero’s welcome, cheered on by supporters and greeted warmly by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who condemned his detention as a serious affront to constitutional rights.
Khalil, who became a symbol of the Trump administration’s hardline stance on student protests and immigration, was detained for 104 days at a facility in Louisiana. During that time, his wife gave birth to their child—an emotional moment he missed due to his incarceration. Pushing his infant son in a stroller as he exited the airport, Khalil thanked supporters and pledged to continue speaking out against the war in Gaza, U.S. foreign policy, and immigrant detentions.
“The U.S. government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,” Khalil said, referencing the conflict in Gaza. “This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine.”
Khalil’s detention became a flashpoint in the national debate around the suppression of political speech, especially among noncitizens and students involved in campus activism. Despite not being charged with any crimes related to the Columbia protests, Khalil was targeted for removal by immigration authorities under claims that his views were antisemitic and supportive of Hamas—a designation he and his defenders vehemently reject. The protests at Columbia were part of a broader student-led movement demanding universities divest from companies linked to Israeli military actions in Gaza.
At Newark Airport, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez denounced Khalil’s detention as a direct violation of the First Amendment. “He has been accused, baselessly, of horrific allegations simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech,” she said. “They are violating the law, and they know that they are violating the law.”
The case caught further attention when U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz issued a strong rebuke of the government’s position, stating it would be “highly, highly unusual” to continue detaining a legal resident who had not been accused of violence or posed a flight risk. The judge ordered Khalil’s release, but the government quickly responded by filing a formal appeal on Friday evening, indicating they were not prepared to let the case end quietly.
Khalil has now vowed to use his freedom to advocate for others still inside the U.S. immigration system, stressing that humanity and dignity should not be determined by legal status. “Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you’re not illegal. That doesn’t make you less of a human,” he stated.
His case is now being closely watched by human rights advocates, immigration attorneys, and First Amendment scholars as a potential precedent in the ongoing battle over the rights of noncitizens to engage in political dissent. Khalil’s story also adds a powerful emotional layer to the student protest movement, underscoring the very real consequences activists face in politically charged times.
As Khalil resumes his life and prepares to continue organizing, the legal fight over his status is far from over. Yet for now, he walks free—determined, defiant, and with his newborn son in his arms.
Mahmoud Khalil Freed Mahmoud Khalil Freed
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