Newark: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from immigration custody on bail. Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, had been held for three months in a Louisiana detention facility after being detained in March in the lobby of his university-owned apartment building in New York City. The Trump administration sought to deport him over his role in pro-Palestinian protests. He was the only high-profile pro-Palestinian demonstrator in the United States who remained in custody.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Judge Michael Farbiarz of Federal District Court in Newark stated during a two-hour hearing that 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. He noted that there seemed to be an underlying effort to use the immigration charge to punish Khalil, which he described as unconstitutional. Farbiarz declined a government request for a seven-day stay on his order to allow more time for a potential appeal.

Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer of New Jersey ordered Khalil to surrender his passport and any other travel documents as a precondition of release. He also limited Khalil's travel to New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C., for specific purposes.

Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, contested the decision, stating that an immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide Khalil's release or detention. She criticized Farbiarz's decision as undermining national security.

Khalil's arrest and detention drew attention as he was labeled a high-profile pro-Palestinian target by the current administration. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously expressed their intentions to deport Khalil, citing provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act. Prosecutors alleged he omitted information from his permanent residency application.

Abigail Jackson, a spokeswoman for the White House, confirmed plans to appeal the decision, arguing that the judge lacked jurisdiction and expressing confidence in their position on appeal.