Overview

• On June 20, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Louisiana vacated Khalil’s detention order, ruling that authorities lacked legal grounds to hold him.
• Khalil must turn over his passport and comply with domestic travel restrictions as part of his conditional release.
• The graduate student was arrested on March 8 for leading pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and was slated for deportation after an April ruling.
• Demonstrations in Manhattan and outside the Newark federal courthouse highlighted public outcry over what supporters called retaliation for political speech.
• The court’s decision halts Khalil’s removal process and spotlights tensions between immigration enforcement and free-speech rights.