Judge Frees Columbia Activist Mahmoud Khalil

A federal judge, Michael Farbiarz, ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, who was detained by ICE for over three months following his participation in campus protests. Khalil, a legal permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen, was initially held under a rarely used law targeting non-citizens considered threats to U.S. foreign policy. Rights groups and his lawyers argued the detention was retaliatory and unconstitutional, while the government later justified it by alleging minor omissions on his green card application, which Khalil disputes. Judge Farbiarz ruled that Khalil is neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community and described the detention as highly unusual, suggesting it was punitive toward protected political speech. Khalil missed the birth of his first child during his detention. The ruling is viewed as a victory for free speech rights and a setback for the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists.