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Mahmoud Khalil released from ICE facility, reunited with family
FOX 5 NY's Sharon Crowley has the latest on former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil's release from ICE detention.
NEWARK - Mahmoud Khalil was reunited with his family at Newark Liberty International Airport after being released from an immigration detention center.
Khalil reunited with his family
What we know:
The former Columbia University student was reunited with his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, and infant son after landing at Newark airport; he was greeted by several supporters as he exited the plane, also accompanied by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"I just want to go back and continue the work I was already doing, advocating for Palestinian rights," Khalil said at a short press conference held at the airport.
Ocasio-Cortez also spoke at the press conference.
"This is not over, and we will have to continue to support this case," she said. "The persecution based on political speech is wrong, and it is a violation of all of our First Amendment rights, not just Mahmoud's."
The representative also said that the Trump administration "knows that they're waging a losing legal battle."
Release ordered by federal judge
Khalil was released yesterday, June 20, after a federal court granted bail to release him from an immigration detention center – his bail was granted after a U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered the United States government to free the former Columbia University graduate student.
Khalil left a federal facility in Jena, Louisiana before 7 p.m. on Friday. He must notify the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours of his address after arriving in New York.
The backstory:
Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, 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 non-citizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country as it considers their views antisemitic.
The Source: This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.