A U.S. District Judge on June 20, 2025 ordered the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, from ICE detention in rural Louisiana. Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that government failed to prove that Khalil posed a flight rist or threat, and that his continued confinement likely infringed on his First Amendment rights.
Khalil, a legal permanent resident arrested on March 8 during a Trump-era crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests, had been detained under a Cold War-era statute authorizing deportation for individuals deemed ” detrimental to U.S. foreign policy”. The government also accused him of visa fraud, though a federal judge concluded those claims did not justify prolonged detention.
Khalil, supported by ACLU and civil liberties advocates, was expected to return to New York and reunite with his wife and newborn son, whom he met for the first time while in detention. Farbiarz’s order also requires Khalil to surrender his passport and restricts overseas travel.
The ruling comes amid similar injunctions for other pro-Palestinians activists, including Mohsen Mahdawi and Rumeysa Ozturk, further fueling debate over whether the government’s actions represent political retaliation rather than a legitimate immigration enforcement strategy.
