A Palestinian activist who is possibly being deported from the United States was released on Friday evening after three months. Mahmoud Khalil played a leading role in Pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of Columbia University. He has not been acquitted, but is allowed to await his trial in freedom.
Khalil plays the leading role in the first public deportation attempt after US President Donald Trump promised to crack down harder on foreign students who demonstrated against the war in Gaza. He was arrested in March by immigration service ICE, after which his permanent residence permit was revoked.
According to the federal court in New Jersey, it is “very unusual” for the government to detain a resident with legal documents. Therefore, the judge demanded Khalil’s release. The same judge ruled last week that the activist’s arrest was in violation of the right to freedom of expression.
A judge in the state of Louisiana has also ruled on the case. He ruled that the Trump administration is entitled to continue the deportation attempt. This does not mean, however, that Khalil will actually be deported in the short term. In a separate case in New Jersey, Judge Michael Farbiarz has temporarily blocked the expulsion.
Khalil can now await his trial in freedom. “Although justice has prevailed, it has taken far too long,” Khalil said after his release. “This should not have taken three months.”
Kahlil graduated from Columbia University in December, where he was one of the leaders of the protests against the Gaza war. He is suspected of “leading activities in line with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” says the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is unclear exactly what Khalil’s arrest is based on, his lawyer said. No government body says it suspects Khalil of such violations.