A federal judge just dropped a bombshell ruling that keeps a Columbia University activist locked up in ICE detention, despite earlier hopes for his release.
The Hill reported that Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card holder and pro-Palestinian advocate, remains in custody after the Trump administration pivoted to a new legal justification for his detention, even as prior grounds were struck down.
Let’s rewind to last spring, when Khalil, an Algerian citizen, led negotiations for Columbia’s pro-Palestinian encampment, a move that landed him squarely on the radar of authorities.
Fast forward to March 8, and Khalil found himself arrested, marking him as the first known activist targeted under the Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign students.
For three months, he’s been behind bars, missing the birth of his first child—a heartbreaking detail that underscores the personal toll of this legal battle.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that the government couldn’t hold Khalil based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that he posed a threat to U.S. foreign policy.
Judge Farbiarz even noted the administration could appeal or find other reasons to detain him, almost like handing them a roadmap to keep the fight going.
Lo and behold, by Friday, the government did just that, arguing at the eleventh hour that Khalil omitted prior work from his permanent residency application, a charge they insist justifies his continued detention.
“Khalil is now detained based on that other charge of removability,” the government argued, sounding almost smug in their legal maneuvering. But let’s be real—shifting tactics at the last second smells like a desperate attempt to keep a political hot potato in custody.
Here’s the kicker: Judge Farbiarz had ordered Khalil’s release by 9:30 a.m. on Friday, but when that deadline passed with no action, his legal team demanded an explicit court order.
The judge gave the administration until 1:30 p.m. that day to respond, yet the outcome was clear—Khalil wasn’t going anywhere, as the new ruling kept him detained.
“Mahmoud Khalil was detained in retaliation for his advocacy for Palestinian rights,” claimed Amy Greer, an attorney from his legal team, painting this as a vendetta.
While the sentiment tugs at the heartstrings, one must ask if personal advocacy should override immigration law compliance in a nation of rules.
Khalil himself spoke to the pain of his situation in court filings, saying, “The most immediate and visceral harms I have experienced directly relate to the birth of my son, Deen.”
“I listened to her pain, trying to comfort her while 70 other men slept around me,” he added, describing the agony of being away from his wife during childbirth.
It’s a gut-wrenching image, no doubt, but it doesn’t erase the government’s argument that legal accountability must stand, even in tough personal circumstances.