New York – In a high-profile ruling, a U.S. federal judge on Friday ordered the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention. The former Columbia student had been arrested in March 2025 under the pretext that his participation in pro-Palestinian protests posed a threat to national foreign policy. But Judge Michael Farbiarz left no doubt in his decision - Khalil posed neither a danger to the public nor a flight risk - “Period. Full stop.” Farbiarz further emphasized that it was “highly unusual” to continue holding someone like Khalil - married to a U.S. citizen, father of a newborn son, with no criminal record and no indication of violence or property damage.
Khalil, a legal U.S. resident of Palestinian origin, was arrested on March 8 at his Manhattan apartment building. Not for any wrongdoing - he had neither committed acts of violence nor broken any laws during the Columbia campus protests - but because he had become a prominent negotiator and spokesperson for the student movement. His opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza and his public visibility made him a target of the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio even called for his deportation, claiming that Khalil’s continued presence in the U.S. could harm foreign policy. Farbiarz rejected the argument as unfounded. The Trump administration later claimed that Khalil had lied on his green card application - an accusation he denies. Farbiarz, however, indicated that he viewed this justification with similar skepticism.
As early as June 11, the judge had blocked the Justice Department from continuing to hold Khalil under the rarely used foreign policy statute. He gave the administration until Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. to appeal - otherwise the detention order would be lifted. Whether that will happen remains unclear. Spokespersons for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security initially declined to comment. What is clear, however, is that Khalil’s release could come within days. Human rights groups are calling it a victory for free speech. The Khalil case powerfully illustrates how political interference and repression against dissenters have become routine in America in 2025 - and how vital independent judicial rulings remain for the defense of fundamental rights.
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