The Trump administration has detained Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate, Mahmoud Khalil, since March 8th, 2025. On Wednesday, Federal Judge Michael E Farbiarz ruled that the Trump administration could no longer detain Khalil on the basis of claims that he is a threat to US foreign policy, thereby granting Khalil’s habeas corpus petition.
The ruling would see Khalil released as early as Friday and returned to his family in New York, where he is a legal permanent resident. His wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, recently gave birth to their child, Deen, whom Khalil has only met once. His request to be held closer to his family, in a detention center in New Jersey, was denied at the end of May by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In his order, Judge Farbiarz said that the ruling will go into effect at 9:30 am on Friday, allowing the government to seek an appellate review. This chance for appeal creates the possibility that Khalil could continue to be detained by the US government for other reasons, such as improperly completing his lawful permanent resident application, though Farbiarz stated he “would be skeptical were authorities to do so.”
Khalil was originally arrested in March in the first wave of arrests by the Trump administration as part of the crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism in universities across the US. Khalil acted as a liaison between students and the Columbia University administration during the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus in 2024. He was detained in his apartment and later taken into custody in Louisiana, despite immigration agents refusing to provide a warrant. Mark Rubio, Secretary of State, deemed Khalil a threat to US foreign policy, despite his not being charged with a crime.
Since March, Khalil has been held in a detention facility in Louisiana. Speaking about his detention, Khalil experienced “long days bearing witness to the quiet injustices underway against a great many people precluded from the protections of the law.” His arrest sparked outrage and protests from students and other activists across the country, who understand his detention as a violation of essential American values, including freedom of speech. Judge Farbiarz’s ruling still marks a victory for Khalil, his legal team, and his family, who expectantly await his release.
