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Columbia Activist Mahmoud Khalil Freed After Three Months in ICE Custody

Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was released Friday evening from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Jena, Louisiana, following over three months in custody.

Upon his release, Khalil told reporters that his first priority is reuniting with his family—especially meeting his newborn son for the first time. “The first thing I’ll do is hug my wife and my baby boy,” he said.

Reflecting on his time in detention, Khalil voiced concern for others still being held. “The hundreds of men left behind shouldn’t be there in the first place,” he said. “The Trump administration is working to dehumanize everyone—whether you’re a citizen, an immigrant, or just someone on this land.”

Earlier in the day, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz issued an order granting Khalil release on bail, overruling a prior decision from an immigration judge in Jena who had denied his asylum request and ordered continued detention. The Trump administration criticized the federal judge’s ruling.

Khalil, a legal permanent resident married to an American citizen, had been detained since March following his arrest by ICE agents in New York City.

Judge Farbiarz’s order stipulated that Khalil’s release would not involve electronic monitoring or immediate bond payment. Instead, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer outlined other conditions: Khalil must surrender his passport, limit travel to specific areas—including his home, his in-laws’ residence, legal appointments, and court or legislative meetings—and will have his green card returned.

Khalil’s release marks a significant development in a case that has drawn national attention, especially amid growing scrutiny of immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration.

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