A federal judge ordered the release of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, marking a blow to the Trump administration's efforts to keep him in immigration detention in connection with his pro-Palestinian activism.
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz of New Jersey said June 20 that the evidence submitted to the court − which government lawyers failed to contest − showed Khalil, a 30-year-old lawful permanent resident, was neither a flight risk nor dangerous, and his prolonged detention since March was potentially punitive.
It was an extraordinary turn of events in the ongoing case, the first of several in which the Trump administration sought to detain and deport students and scholars over pro-Palestinian speech or activism. Justice Department lawyers have said the secretary of state can order a person's removal if their actions threaten foreign policy interests.