Judge Orders Release of Detained Activist Khalil

Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, was released from ICE detention in Louisiana after being held for over three months as the Trump administration sought to deport him for his campus protest activities against Israel's war in Gaza. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered Khalil's release, finding he was not a flight risk or danger and suggesting his detention was likely unconstitutional retaliation for protected political speech. Khalil is a legal permanent resident, and his wife and newborn son are U.S. citizens. He was the last high-profile campus protester detained under the administration's crackdown, which used rarely invoked immigration authority. Rights groups, including the ACLU, celebrated the ruling as a major win for free speech and immigrant rights, though the government has appealed the decision and Khalil's deportation fight continues. Khalil called for broader reforms for others in similar detention conditions.