VIDEOS: Mahmoud Khalil walks free after 104 days in US detention

After 104 days behind bars, Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil walked free from a federal immigration facility in rural Louisiana on Friday.

His release came by order of US District Judge Michael Farbiarz, who criticized the government’s continued detention of a legal US resident with no history of violence or risk of flight.

“Justice prevailed, but it’s very long overdue,” Khalil said as he stepped outside the detention center. “This shouldn’t have taken three months.”

Khalil, who had been detained since March 8, became a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on campus protests related to 'Israel’s' war in Gaza. His arrest from his Manhattan apartment marked the first high-profile case in what civil rights advocates say is a sweeping attempt to punish dissent, particularly among noncitizen students.

The Department of Homeland Security, however, signaled its intent to fight the ruling, filing a notice of appeal just hours after Khalil’s release. In a post on X, DHS noted that immigration Judge Jamee Comans, who works at the same facility where Khalil was held, had earlier denied him bond and issued an order of removal.

“An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide if Mr. Khalil should be released or detained,” the agency asserted.

Despite the removal order, Judge Farbiarz pushed back against the government’s handling of the case, stating clearly, “Petitioner is not a flight risk, and the evidence presented is that he is not a danger to the community. Period, full stop.”

During the hourlong hearing, the judge added that the government had “clearly not met” the legal standard required to keep Khalil in custody.

The Trump administration has justified Khalil’s detention on grounds of national security and foreign policy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has argued that Khalil’s presence in the US undermines American interests abroad and called for his expulsion. Critics, however, say the administration is equating pro-Palestinian advocacy with antisemitism to suppress opposition to US support for 'Israel'.

While Farbiarz blocked Khalil’s deportation on foreign policy grounds, he left open the possibility that the administration could pursue removal based on disputed claims that Khalil misrepresented information on his green card application, an allegation Khalil denies.

Khalil was not arrested during student demonstrations at Columbia, where he served as a spokesperson and negotiator. Still, his prominence in the media and willingness to speak out made him a target for critics and immigration enforcement.

His legal team argued that the extended detention was an infringement on his constitutional rights, including free speech and due process. The judge agreed, noting that Khalil had become a public figure and that no compelling justification remained for his continued incarceration.

Speaking after his release, Khalil reflected on his time at the Jena detention facility, “Whether you are a US citizen, an immigrant or just a person on this land doesn’t mean that you are less of a human,” he said. “Justice will prevail, no matter what this administration may try to portray” about immigrants.

Khalil has been ordered to surrender his passport and is restricted from international travel. However, he will regain possession of his green card and be allowed to travel domestically for court appearances and to reunite with his family in New York.

His wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, welcomed the news. “We know this ruling does not begin to address the injustices the Trump administration has brought upon our family, and so many others,” she said in a statement. “But today we are celebrating Mahmoud coming back to New York to be reunited with our little family.”

Khalil’s case is part of a growing list of detentions targeting students and scholars involved in Gaza-related protests. Others recently released include former Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi, Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, and Georgetown University scholar Badar Khan Suri.

As he prepares to return to New York, Khalil said he remains committed to speaking out, “No one should be detained for protesting Israel’s war in Gaza.”