Topline
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student arrested in March over his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, cannot be deported or detained, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, though the order does not take effect until Friday.
Khalil has been detained since early March. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Key Facts
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz granted Khalil’s motion to temporarily block federal officials from deporting him from the U.S., pushing against the Trump administration’s claims of foreign policy interests it cited in its reasoning for Khalil’s arrest.
Khalil, a green card holder born in Syria to Palestinian parents, has been detained since his arrest on March 8.
Farbiarz noted the holds barring the federal government from detaining or deporting Khalil have no impact on efforts to remove him for reasons other than the foreign policy concerns cited by the Trump administration.
The Trump administration can appeal the ruling, but if it is unsuccessful or chooses not to, Khalil could be released as early as Friday morning on a $1 bond.
Forbes reached out to the White House and Khalil’s representatives for comment.
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Chief Critic
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson alleged in an email to Forbes that Khalil fraudulently obtained his student visa and “has consistently engaged in conduct detrimental to American foreign policy interests including ongoing support for Hamas and harassment of Jewish students on campus.” Jackson added the district court order “will not be the final word.”
Who Is Mahmoud Khalil?
Khalil, 30, is a permanent U.S. resident who earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. In 2024, amid a wave of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses throughout the country, Khalil told CNN he believed “the liberation of the Palestinian people and the Jewish people are intertwined and go hand-by-hand and you cannot achieve one without the other,” becoming one of the most public faces of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Columbia’s campus. Khalil was arrested in March without being charged for a crime and was told during his arrest his student visa and green card were revoked without being provided “a basis for the revocation,” his lawyers alleged. President Donald Trump characterized Khalil as a “a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student.” Khalil’s arrest became the focal point of a wave of student visa removals made by the Trump administration in the proceeding weeks.
Key Background
Columbia is one of several major institutions targeted by the Trump administration for its handling of pro-Palestinian protests last year, which included some incidents of antisemitism. The Education Department vowed shortly after Khalil’s arrest to investigate 60 colleges over antisemitism allegations and has since followed up on its warnings, removing or freezing billions in funding, targeting accreditation and demanding changes to protest policies at schools like Columbia, Harvard, Cornell and more. Columbia has conceded to most of the demands made by the Trump administration, while Harvard has taken a more defiant approach, challenging the funding cuts in court and suing Trump over his attempt to stop it from enrolling international students, who make up more than 25% of Harvard’s total enrollment.
Further Reading
Mahmoud Khalil Still Detained In Louisiana—At Least For Now—Following Court Hearing: What We Know (Forbes)
Immigration Judge Says Trump Administration Can Deport Columbia Student Mahmoud Khalil (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2025/06/11/judge-says-trump-administration-cannot-detain-columbia-activist-mahmoud-khalil/