Judge Orders ICE To Release Ivy League Protest Leader Mahmoud Khalil

A New Jersey federal judge ordered Immigrations Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to release Columbia University graduate and activist Mahmoud Khalil from his detention in Louisiana effective immediately Friday, according to CBS News.

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz accepted a request from Khalil’s lawyers to release him or transfer him to New Jersey from his detention in Louisiana, calling his detention “highly unusual,” according to the outlet. The judge ruled that he does not pose a threat or flight risk even as immigration proceedings against him continue.

The Trump administration requested a stay in Farbiarz’s order but the judge refused. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is likely to appeal the ruling, CBS reported.

Judge says he will order Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from detention https://t.co/yLqjrGoIby

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 20, 2025

“It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America, Assistant Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily Caller in a statement.

The Trump Administration was well within its and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, McLaughlin wrote.

“An immigration judge has already vindicated this position. We expect a higher court to do the same,” McLaughlin continued.

DHS detained the 30-year-old Syrian-born Khalil, who became a U.S. green card holder in 2024, in March, accusing him of “activities aligned with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.” Authorities revoked his green card. (RELATED: ‘Will Not Stand’: Karoline Leavitt Says Arrest Of Pro-Hamas Protest Leader ‘First Of Many To Come)

A Barack Obama-appointed judge temporarily blocked Khalil’s deportation in March. Farbiarz also ruled earlier in June that Rubio’s claim that Khalil’s “presence or activities would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest” was not compelling enough to deport him, according to CBS. The judge added that the ruling did not mean the Trump administration could not deport him over other allegations.

The administration also alleges Khalil omitted key details about his past on his green card application.

Khalil previously worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a political affairs officer, according to court documents filed by the U.S. government. He also allegedly worked for the Syria Office in the British Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, according to the documents.

“An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide if Mr. Khalil should be released or detained,” McLaughlin also said in a statement.

“On the same day an immigration judge denied Khalil bond and ordered him removed, one rogue district judge ordered him released. This is yet another example of how out of control members of the judicial branch are undermining national security. Their conduct not only denies the result of the 2024 election, it also does great harm to our constitutional system by undermining public confidence in the courts,” McLaughlin wrote.

Khalil came to the U.S. from Algeria in 2022 to attend Columbia University on a student visa. He showed up at a number of protest events at the campus and became a leader with Columbia University Apartheid Divest.

In a March lawsuit, nine U.S. and Israeli October 7 victims accused Khalil and additional defendants of coordinating their efforts with Hamas since 2023, according to Reuters. His attorneys have said he is not connected to the terror group.

Editor’s note: Article updated with additional information on allegations against Khalil.