A federal judge has ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist who had been detained by ICE in Louisiana for over three months. Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Khalil posed no flight risk or danger to the community and described his extended detention as “highly unusual.”
Khalil was taken into custody in March amid a wave of heightened enforcement targeting international student protesters allied with Gaza demonstrations. He was held at a rural ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana, far from his New York residence. During his detention, Khalil was unable to witness the birth of his son—an absence he deeply lamented.
Upon his release, Khalil greeted supporters outside the detention center and reaffirmed his intent to continue advocacy for Palestinian rights, emphasizing that his detention violated constitutional protections. His Green Card will remain valid under court supervision, though his passport has been surrendered and travel will be limited to specific states for ongoing legal proceedings.