Judge orders Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from detention
FILE - Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is seen at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
By PHILIP MARCELO
A federal judge on Friday ordered the U.S. government to free former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from the immigration detention center where he has been held since early March while the Trump administration sought to deport him over his role in pro-Palestinian protests.
Ruling from the bench in New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be 'highly, highly unusual" for the government to continue to detain a legal U.S. resident who was unlikely to flee and hadn't been accused of any violence.
In reaching his decision, he said Khalil is likely not a flight risk and 'is not a danger to the community. Period, full stop.'
He ordered Khalil released from a detention center in rural Louisiana later Friday.
The government had 'clearly not met' the standards for detention, he said later in the hourlong hearing, which took place by phone.
Khalil was the first arrest under President Donald Trump 's crackdown on students who joined campus protests against Israel's devastating war in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Khalil must be expelled from the country because his continued presence could harm American foreign policy.
Farbiarz had ruled earlier that the government couldn't deport Khalil on those grounds, but gave it leeway to continue pursuing a potential deportation based on allegations that he lied on his green card application. Khalil disputes the accusations that he wasn't forthcoming on the application.
Khalil's lawyers had asked that he either be freed on bail or, at the very least, moved from a Louisiana jail to New Jersey so he can be closer to his wife and newborn son, who are both U.S. citizens.
The judge noted Khalil is now clearly a public figure given his prominence during the campus protests and since his detainment.
He was detained on March 8 at his apartment building in Manhattan over his participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. His lawyers say the Trump administration is simply trying to crack down on free speech.
Khalil isn't accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. The international affairs graduate student served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists. He wasn't among the demonstrators arrested, but his prominence in news coverage and willingness to speak publicly made him a target of critics.
The Trump administration has argued that noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country as it considers their views antisemitic.
The judge noted Khalil has no criminal record and the government has put forward no evidence to suggest he's been involved in violence or property destruction.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Lone Japanese activist attracts attention from foreigners through videos posted online
TOKYO -- In late May, a 49-year-old man was seen speaking to passersby in front of JR Shinjuku Station in the Japanese capital, with a handmade sign that read "Stop Gaza Genocide." "We have remained silent without raising our voices against war crimes while living in a country where freedom of expression is guaranteed," said Yusuke Furusawa, a Tokyo resident. "Perhaps you think it's simply because you're not interested or because it doesn't concern you," he continued. His husky voice faded into the evening crowd. He began his solo street activities in October 2023. After contracting COVID-19 and returning to work, he experienced three months of poor health. When browsing social media on his smartphone, he was constantly bombarded with videos depicting the devastation in the Palestinian territory of Gaza that has been attacked by the Israeli military. He couldn't sit idly by. Since then, come rain or wind, he has been demonstrating daily in front of stations like Shinjuku and Shibuya. Furusawa works as a day laborer creating sets for television programs. He dedicates about an hour to his activities after work on weekdays and whenever possible on weekends. "My voice has become hoarse. But since I work in set construction, it doesn't affect my job," he said. The turning point in his solitary struggle was video. He started recording videos on his smartphone for "security" after facing violence from foreigners believed to be Israeli and being harassed by drunk people during his activities. When he posted snippets on social media, he received reactions from around the world. Over the past year and a half, his Instagram followers have increased by 170,000. Being interviewed by a television station in the Middle East also accelerated the spread of his activities. In reality, most people who approach Furusawa on the street are foreigners. It's not uncommon for them to say, "I learned about you on social media and came to meet you." Almost every day, he receives direct messages from foreigners staying in Japan saying things like, "Where are you today?" He communicates with these foreigners using simple English and body language. His keffiyeh, a traditional Arab scarf he wears around his neck during his activities, and the bag adorned with the Palestinian flag are gifts from people he connected with on social media. Furusawa discovered his passion for theater while attending a private university in Kanagawa Prefecture. He graduated during the early "employment ice age," and chose to continue pursuing his love of theater while working part-time. His acting activities continue to this day. Observing him standing in front of the station for a while, a pair of young women engrossed in their smartphones cast harsh glances at Furusawa, who didn't stop speaking. A man in a suit on the phone hurriedly covered one ear and rushed past, clicking his tongue. A foreigner with tears in her eyes approached him, and they exchanged words for about a minute. The woman, who told Furusawa that she also thought the current situation was wrong, was Israeli. He conveyed his thoughts to her, saying, "I am complaining to the government. This is not a criticism of you." Through his activities, he has experienced both solidarity and conflict. "I believe human connections are also a part of politics," he commented. When he uploads videos to social media, complaints fly in. "This is pointless," "Go there yourself," "It's annoying,"... He's even been told directly, "You're noisy." "I'm aware it's noisy. If possible, I want to forcefully intrude into your silence and field of vision. I don't think it will have an effect, nor do I believe I can change anything alone, nor do I intend to change the awareness of passersby," Furusawa said. So why does he stand on the street every day? He commented, "I live with fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution. If there are people whose rights are being violated, I believe I must raise my voice, even if it's in another country. Whether it has meaning or not is irrelevant; it's just the right thing to do, isn't it?"
Japan Today
4 hours ago
- Japan Today
Judge asks if troops in Los Angeles are violating Posse Comitatus Act
California National Guard stand guard along a street near protesters and Trump supporters in Santa Ana, Calif. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo Jae C. Hong) By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ California's challenge of the Trump administration's military deployment in Los Angeles returned to a federal courtroom in San Francisco on Friday for a brief hearing after an appeals court handed President Donald Trump a key procedural win. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer put off issuing any additional rulings and instead asked for briefings from both sides by noon Monday on whether the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits troops from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil, is being violated in Los Angeles. Newsom said in his complaint that 'violation of the Posse Comitatus Act is imminent, if not already underway' but Breyer last week postponed considering that allegation. The hearing comes a day after the 9th Circuit appellate panel allowed the president to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed in response to protests over immigration raids. The appellate decision halted a temporary restraining order from Breyer, who found Trump acted illegally when he activated the soldiers over opposition from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Breyer also asked the lawyers on Friday to address whether he or the appellate court retains primary jurisdiction to grant an injunction under the Posse Comitatus Act. California has sought a preliminary injunction returning control to Newsom of the troops in Los Angeles, where protests have calmed down in recent days. Trump, a Republican, argued that the troops have been necessary to restore order. Newsom, a Democrat, said their presence on the streets of a U.S. city inflamed tensions, usurped local authority and wasted resources. The demonstrations have appeared to be winding down, although dozens of protesters showed up Thursday at Dodger Stadium, where a group of federal agents with their faces covered, traveling in SUVs and cargo vans, had gathered at a parking lot. The Los Angeles Dodgers organization asked them to leave, and they did. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lifted a curfew in downtown Los Angeles that was first imposed in response to vandalism and clashes with police after crowds gathered in opposition to agents taking migrants into detention. Trump federalized members of the California National Guard under an authority known as Title 10. Title 10 allows the president to call the National Guard into federal service when the country 'is invaded,' when 'there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,' or when the president is otherwise unable 'to execute the laws of the United States.' Breyer found that Trump had overstepped his legal authority, which he said allows presidents to control state National Guard troops only during times of 'rebellion or danger of a rebellion.' 'The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of 'rebellion,'' wrote Breyer, a Watergate prosecutor who was appointed by President Bill Clinton and is the brother of retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The Trump administration argued that courts can't second-guess the president's decisions. The appellate panel ruled otherwise, saying presidents don't have unfettered power to seize control of a state's guard, but said that by citing violent acts by protesters in this case, the Trump administration had presented enough evidence to show it had a defensible rationale for federalizing the troops. For now, the California National Guard will stay in federal hands as the lawsuit proceeds. It's the first deployment by a president of a state National Guard without the governor's permission since troops were sent to protect Civil Rights Movement marchers in 1965. Trump celebrated the appellate ruling in a social media post, calling it a 'BIG WIN' and hinting at more potential deployments. 'All over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done,' Trump wrote. Newsom, for his part, has also warned that California won't be the last state to see troops in the streets if Trump gets his way. 'The President is not a king and is not above the law. We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of U.S. military soldiers against citizens,' Newsom said. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance was traveling to Los Angeles on Friday to meet with U.S. Marines who also have been deployed to protect federal buildings, his office announced. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
4 hours ago
- Japan Today
Federal judge blocks Trump effort to keep Harvard from hosting foreign students
FILE - Rowers paddle down the Charles River near the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., March 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) By COLLIN BINKLEY A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration's efforts to keep Harvard University from hosting international students, delivering the Ivy League school another victory as it challenges multiple government sanctions amid a battle with the White House. The order from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston preserves the ability of Harvard to host foreign students while the case is decided. Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security in May after the agency withdrew the school's certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork for their visas. The action would have forced Harvard's roughly 7,000 foreign students — about a quarter of its total enrollment — to transfer or risk being in the U.S. illegally. New foreign students would have been barred from coming to Harvard. The university called it illegal retaliation for rejecting the White House's demands to overhaul Harvard policies around campus protests, admissions, hiring and other issues. Burroughs temporarily halted the action hours after Harvard sued. Less than two weeks later, in early June, Trump moved to block foreign students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard, citing a different legal justification. Harvard challenged the move and Burroughs temporarily blocked that effort as well. The stops and starts of the legal battle have unsettled current students and left others around the world waiting to find out whether they will be able to attend America's oldest and wealthiest university. The Trump administration's efforts to stop Harvard from enrolling international students have created an environment of 'profound fear, concern, and confusion,' the university said in a court filing. Countless international students have asked about transferring from the university, Harvard immigration services director Maureen Martin said. Trump has been warring with Harvard for months after it rejected a series of government demands meant to address conservative complaints that the school has become too liberal and has tolerated anti-Jewish harassment. Trump officials have cut more than $2.6 billion in research grants, ended federal contracts and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. In April, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded that Harvard turn over a trove of records related to any dangerous or illegal activity by foreign students. Harvard says it complied, but Noem said the response fell short and on May 22 revoked Harvard's certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The sanction immediately put Harvard at a disadvantage as it competed for the world's top students, the school said in its lawsuit, and it harmed Harvard's reputation as a global research hub. 'Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,' the suit said. The action would have upended some graduate schools that recruit heavily from abroad. Some schools overseas quickly offered invitations to Harvard's students, including two universities in Hong Kong. Harvard President Alan Garber previously said the university has made changes to combat antisemitism. But Harvard, he said, will not stray from its 'core, legally-protected principles,' even after receiving federal ultimatums. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
