A federal judge just slammed the door on a pro-Palestinian activist’s bid for freedom, keeping him locked up under a last-minute legal maneuver by the Trump administration.
The Hill reported that on Friday, District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University activist and green-card holder, will remain in ICE detention, as the government pivoted to a fresh justification for holding him after an earlier legal setback.
Khalil, an Algerian citizen, made headlines as the lead negotiator for Columbia’s pro-Palestinian encampment last spring, only to be arrested on March 8, 2025, marking him as the first known target of the Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign students.
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, Judge Farbiarz delivered a blow to the administration, ruling that Khalil couldn’t be detained solely because Secretary of State Marco Rubio deemed him a threat to U.S. foreign policy.
The judge left the door open, noting the government could appeal or find another reason to keep Khalil behind bars, a loophole the administration didn’t hesitate to exploit.
That initial ruling seemed like a win for Khalil, but if you thought the government would just pack up and go home, think again—they had another card up their sleeve.
By Friday, with a 9:30 a.m. deadline looming for Khalil’s release, the Trump administration dropped a new argument, claiming he omitted prior work details on his permanent residency application.
The deadline came and went with Khalil still in custody, prompting his legal team to file a desperate plea for the judge to enforce his release.
Judge Farbiarz gave the administration until 1:30 p.m. that day to respond, but ultimately sided with the government, ruling that this new charge of removability was a lawful ground for detention.
The government’s stance was clear: “Khalil is now detained based on that other charge.” Call it a technicality if you will, but in a system where rules matter, this pivot keeps Khalil off the streets—and away from his newborn son.
Khalil’s legal team fired back, with attorney Amy Greer lamenting, “Mahmoud Khalil was detained in retaliation for his advocacy.” While the sentiment tugs at the heartstrings, one must wonder if emotional appeals can override legal discrepancies in immigration law, especially under an administration prioritizing strict enforcement.
Khalil himself painted a gut-wrenching picture in court filings, stating, “Instead of holding my wife’s hand in the delivery room, I was crouched on a detention center floor.”
He added, “I listened to her pain, trying to comfort her while 70 other men slept around me.” No doubt, missing the birth of his first child, Deen, is a personal tragedy, yet the broader question remains: Does personal hardship excuse potential missteps in legal documentation?
After three months in detention as of June 13, 2025, Khalil’s case stands out, especially when other pro-Palestinian activists have been released during their immigration proceedings.
It’s hard not to sympathize with a father separated from his family, but the Trump administration’s focus on tightening immigration loopholes isn’t likely to bend for individual stories, no matter how poignant.