Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil Released from Louisiana ICE Detention After Over Three Months
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate, was released on bail from an ICE detention center in Jena, Louisiana, on Saturday, June 21, 2025, after over three months of detention. Arrested in March 2024 outside his apartment near Columbia’s campus, Khalil emerged from the facility wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf symbolizing Palestinian identity and resistance, smiling and raising his fists alongside his attorney. He expressed relief at the prospect of reuniting with his wife and newborn son, whom he missed during his detention, but noted the prolonged process was unjust.
Photo credit - CNN
Federal Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered Khalil’s release, determining he posed no flight risk or threat to public safety. The judge described Khalil’s detention as “highly unusual” at this stage and pointed to “extraordinary circumstances,” including evidence of a due process violation aimed at punishing Khalil for his role in pro-Palestinian student protests in 2024. Farbiarz emphasized that Khalil, a lawful permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen with no criminal charges, was not a danger to the community.
Khalil’s case was among the first in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown targeting student activists. His attorneys argued his detention was meant to send a message, chilling free speech. The judge rejected the government’s claim that Khalil’s presence in the U.S. threatened national interests and found it unlikely he would be detained solely for allegedly providing inaccurate information on his green card application.
Despite a government request to delay his release, Khalil was freed on Saturday with conditions, including surrendering his passport and restrictions on international travel. He was allowed to return to New York without reporting to ICE there. However, his immigration case continues, with his legal team appealing a separate ruling affirming his removability, confident they will succeed.
Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, expressed relief at his release but highlighted the family’s ordeal, noting he missed their son’s birth while detained over 1,000 miles away. She celebrated his return to their family and community, which supported them throughout his detention for advocating Palestinian rights. Khalil criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to dehumanize immigrants and left behind others still detained unjustly.
Photo credit - CNN
A week before Mahmoud Khalil’s release on Saturday, June 21, 2025, Judge Michael Farbiarz had ruled that Khalil could remain detained. The judge had previously determined that the government could not hold Khalil on the grounds that his presence in the U.S. was against national interests. However, the Department of Justice argued that they could still detain him based on a separate claim—that he failed to provide required information on his application for legal permanent residency. Farbiarz agreed with the government’s interpretation, allowing Khalil’s detention to continue at that time.
Khalil’s legal team accused the Trump administration of employing “cruel, transparent delay tactics” to prolong his detention. On Friday, attorney Baher Azmy called the remaining charge—that Khalil misrepresented information on his green card application—“baseless,” vowing to challenge it in court.
When asked if Khalil would continue his activism post-release, Azmy affirmed that Khalil, a peace and international human rights activist of Palestinian descent, would likely persist in advocating for justice for Palestinians and an end to their ongoing suffering.