Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil Defies Detention in U.S. Return

Newark, June 23 (AP) — In an emotional homecoming, Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil returned to New Jersey on Saturday, greeted by supporters, including US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, after spending over three months in a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana.

With his infant son in tow, Khalil addressed friends and the press at Newark International Airport. A former Columbia University graduate student, he has become a symbol of the Trump administration's crackdown on campus protests.

Despite his detention, Khalil remains defiant, pledging to intensify his protests against Israel and the military conflict in Gaza. "The US government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide," he stated. “I will continue protesting, even if it risks my detention or my life.”

Ocasio-Cortez, joining him at the airport, condemned his detention as a violation of the First Amendment, labeling it “an affront to every American.” She emphasized, "He faces baseless accusations because the Trump administration disagrees with his political views."

According to Ocasio-Cortez, the administration is engaged in a futile legal struggle. "They are knowingly violating the law," she asserted.

Khalil, who endured detention during the birth of his child, vowed to champion the rights of those left behind in the detention facility. “No one is illegal. Every person here deserves dignity and humanity,” he declared.

Despite not being charged with any legal violations during the demonstrations at Columbia, the administration argues that noncitizens involved in actions it deems antisemitic or supportive of groups like Hamas should be expelled. Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

His release was secured after US District Judge Michael Farbiarz highlighted it would be “highly, highly unusual” to continue detaining Khalil, given his low risk of flight and absence of violent accusations. The government, however, has appealed the judge’s decision to release him.

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