Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, was released from federal immigration detention in Louisiana after 104 days. The release followed a federal judge’s ruling that the Trump administration could not detain or deport him based on a determination by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had cited potential foreign policy consequences under a rarely used section of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Khalil, a permanent resident born in Syria, had been held since his arrest on March 8, 2025, linked to his role as a student negotiator during 2024 campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. The judge, Farbiarz, deemed Rubio’s justification likely unconstitutional, ordering Khalil’s release with conditions, though the government filed an appeal shortly after. Khalil’s wife accepted his diploma on his behalf during his detention, and he plans a news conference in New York on June 21, 2025, to address the ordeal. The case involved no specific criminal charges against Khalil, marking a significant legal development. This event follows a series of actions, including the detention of other noncitizen students and the administration’s earlier threat to withhold $400 million in federal grants from Columbia, prompting ongoing discussions on campus activism and immigration policy.
34news.online
34news.online
