Mahmoud Khalil jumps back into NYC Gaza protests after judge orders his release from ICE custody

A federal judge ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil, the foreign national who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, on Friday. Khalil arrived back in New York on Saturday after being held in immigration custody in Louisiana, and was seen speaking at a rally the following day. 

The 30-year-old, who had been held in ICE custody since March, told supporters as he spoke on the steps of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, "I must call the hypocrisy of Columbia University. A university that just two weeks ago said that they want to protect their international students." He added, "While over 100 days later, I haven’t received a single call from this university," per the New York Post.

"I also must call out their double standards. How did we become targets of Israel-aligned groups? Because Columbia University failed to protect students. Columbia University, in fact, emboldened these individuals to continue to harass and harm students," he added.

Joining Khalil were his wife, newborn son, and members of Khalil’s legal team. Many in the crowd sported "Welcome home Mahmoud" signs.

"Viva viva Palestina," Khalil was heard chanting to the crowd, and he joined the activists in the streets chanting, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," as seen in footage from Oliya Scootercaster.

Khalil said he had sought to hold the event at Columbia, but officials at the school refused. "Columbia administrators never fail to disappoint. So, I’m not surprised. This is very shameful, because they are the ones who know me very well," he said. "They are the ones who, in private, in fact, tell me that there is anti-Palestinian racism in Columbia, that there is manufactured hysteria about antisemitism at Columbia University because of our protests, but they don’t dare to talk about that in public."

Khalil also said "My being here today is sweet but it is not a victory." This comes as his legal team is still fighting the deportation order on him, and as the Trump administration is fighting the judges’ order to release Khalil. 

Khalil spoke with the New York Times after his release, telling the outlet, "I’m free, but those who made me go through hell are still free outside and actually emboldened."

"I don’t think what happened to me would stop me. If anything, it’s actually reinforced my belief that what we’re doing is right."

Khalil was taken into custody in March. President Trump announced at the time, "ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it."

Khalil was the lead negotiator of an pro-Palestinian Gaza encampment at Columbia and failed to disclose connections to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) when he applied for a visa, the DOJ has said. UNRWA was stripped of US funding after it was reported that staffers were involved in the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.