Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and prominent pro-Palestinian activist, was released on bail Friday after spending more than three months in U.S. immigration detention. A federal judge ruled that Khalil posed neither a flight risk nor a threat to the community as his deportation case continues.
The 30-year-old legal permanent resident was detained for 104 days, during which time his son was born. Speaking before boarding a flight to New York from Louisiana, where he had been held, Khalil expressed relief and deep emotion at reuniting with his wife and newborn. “Now I can actually hug him and Noor, my wife, without looking at the clock,” he said.
Khalil’s March 8 arrest drew widespread attention and protests in New York and Washington, as he had become a leading voice in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia. His case became a flashpoint in the debate over free speech, foreign policy, and immigration under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Though no specific crime has been alleged, the government has accused Khalil of "fraud and misrepresentation" in his green card application and claimed that his activism could harm U.S. foreign policy, citing a rarely-used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that Khalil’s presence in the U.S. could cause “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.”
Last week, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that this rationale was likely unconstitutional. “It’s overwhelmingly unlikely that a lawful permanent resident would be held on the remaining charge here,” he said, calling Khalil’s continued detention “highly unusual.”
Attorneys for Khalil have argued that the government’s actions amounted to retaliation for protected political speech. “There is an effort to use the immigration charge here to punish the petitioner,” Judge Farbiarz noted in court.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson maintained that the court overstepped its authority, stating, “We expect to be vindicated on appeal and look forward to removing Khalil from the United States.”
Khalil graduated from Columbia while in detention. His wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, accepted his diploma on his behalf at the ceremony. In a statement, she said, “After more than three months, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief and know that Mahmoud is on his way home to me and Deen, who never should have been separated from his father.”
Under the terms of his release, Khalil will not be subject to electronic monitoring. The court has restricted his international travel but will allow domestic travel for legal and advocacy-related purposes, including visits to New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C.
“No one should fear being jailed for speaking out in this country,” said Alina Das, co-director of NYU’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, who represented Khalil. “We are overjoyed that Mr. Khalil will finally be reunited with his family while we continue to fight his case in court.”
Khalil has not commented on the future of his legal status but remains at the center of a national conversation over protest rights, immigration law, and the limits of executive power.
Source: BBC
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan