A federal judge in New Jersey ordered this Friday the release of activist Mahmoud Khalil from the Donald Trump Administration. Khalil has been in custody of immigration agents since March 8 for participating in protests at Columbia University in New York in support of Palestine following the Israeli offensive.
Judge Michael Fabiarz has determined that there is “a very solid and indisputable record” that there is no flight risk and that Jalil poses no danger to the public: "I am going to exercise the discretion I have to order the petitioner’s release in this case," he announced at a hearing, as reported by the television network NBC.
Why did the Trump administration detain Khalil?
Khalil, a legal permanent resident in the United States of Palestinian origin, graduated in December with a master’s degree in international studies from Columbia University. So far, he has not been charged with any crime, even though he was accused of spreading anti-Semitic speech and making administrative errors in the documentation for citizenship application.
The activist had been detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly “leading activities aligned” with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), designated as a terrorist organization in the United States, as indicated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Columbia, along with other universities, was the scene of massive protests in support of Palestine following the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that has already left more than 55,700 dead after the attacks on October 7, 2023, carried out by Hamas and Palestinian groups against Israeli territory, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 240 hostages.