Judge Rules Mahmoud Khalil Must Be Released On Bail

NEW YORK CITY — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration on Friday to release Mahmoud Khalil on bail, according to reports.

Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled on Friday that the allegations against Khalil did not require that he be detained.

This new development comes after a federal judge ruled last month that the detainment of the Columbia University graduate on campus by immigration officials back in March — is "likely" unconstitutional,Patch previously reported.

Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and graduate student who served as spokesperson for campus activists last year during large demonstrations against Israel's treatment of Palestinians and the war in Gaza, has been held in detention in Jena, Louisiana for the last three months.

Khalil has not been charged with a crime.

Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and graduate student who served as spokesperson for campus activists last year during large demonstrations against Israel's treatment of Palestinians and the war in Gaza, was detained on March 8 in the lobby of his campus-owned apartment and has been held in detention in Jena, Louisiana.

To target Khalil, the Trump administration used a provision of the 1953 Immigration and Nationality Act to arrest and detain noncitizens who engage in protest that could harm the country's international relations, in a memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Khalil is being represented by lawyers from Dratel & Lewis, the Center for Constitutional Rights, CLEAR, Van Der Hout LLP, Washington Square Legal Services, the New York Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of New Jersey, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

A timeline for Khalil's possible release has been disclosed.

This is a developing story. This post may be updated.