Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has said the Trump administration “chose the wrong person for this” after he was freed from a Louisiana ICE detention center on Friday on a judge’s orders.
Khalil, a Syrian born former Columbia University student, was detained by federal immigration authorities on March 8 after the Department of Homeland Security alleged he was a national security threat, something he has strongly denied.
Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security and Columbia University for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Since coming to power in January, the Trump administration has targeted foreign born university students who it claims have been involved with disruptive pro-Palestinian activism on campus, with a number having their visas revoked and being detained by ICE.
Trump has sought to crack down on pro-Palestinian activism in universities more broadly following a series of Gaza solidarity camps on campuses around the country from April to July 2024. The administration moved to ban Harvard from enrolling foreign students after it rejected demands related to campus activism, though this was later blocked by a judge.
What To Know
Khalil was released on bail shortly before 8 p.m. ET on Friday after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz concluded he is not a flight risk as he’s married to a U.S. citizen, has no criminal record and a baby at home.
He spent more than three months in custody after being detained in March outside his apartment on the Columbia University campus. Khalil was involved with pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and was involved in mediating with university leaders.
On June 11, Farbiarz ruled Khalil could not be detained or deported based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s determination. However, two days later, Farbiarz said he would not order Khalil’s release after the Trump administration said he committed fraud on his green card, which the former student’s legal team then appealed.
Matthew Hinton/AP
Speaking to reporters after his release, Khalil said: “Hundreds of men who I left behind me shouldn’t have been there in the first place. The Trump administration are doing their best to dehumanize everyone here whether you are a U.S. citizen, an immigrant, or just a person on this land doesn’t mean you are less of a human.”
Asked by a reporter from The Guardian whether he had any message for the Trump administration, Khalil replied: “Trump and his administration they chose the wrong person for this. That doesn’t mean that there is a right person for this.
“There’s no right person who should be detained for protesting a genocide, for protesting their university, Columbia University, that is investing in the genocide of the Palestinian people so this is my message.”
Khalil added that after returning home he would “hug my wife and son,” stating he’d only been allowed to spend one hour with his son under supervised conditions whilst in detention.
What People Are Saying
DHS told Newsweek via email in a statement: “This is yet another example of how out of control members of the judicial branch are undermining national security. Their conduct not only denies the result of the 2024 election, it also does great harm to our constitutional system by undermining public confidence in the courts.”
Dr. Noor Abdalla, Mahmoud Khalil’s wife, in a statement: “After more than three months we can finally breathe a sigh of relief and known that Mahmoud is on his way home to me and Deen, who never should have been separated from his father.”
Alina Das, one of Khalil’s attorneys and co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law, in a statement: “No one should fear being jailed for speaking out in this country. We are overjoyed that Mr. Khalil will finally be reunited with his family while we continue to fight his case in court.”
What Happens Next
Despite his release, the legal case against Khalil remains open and he could still face deportation from the U.S. if the Trump administration wins its case. For now Khalil has regained his green card and will be allowed to travel to visit family in New York and Michigan, for court hearings in Louisiana and New Jersey and for lobbying in Washington, D.C.
