By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - A US federal judge on Friday ordered the release of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, according to local media reports.
Judge Michael E. Farbiarz of the Federal District Court in Newark, New Jersey, ruled that the government cannot deport and must release Khalil.
Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, was arrested on March 8 in New York City and transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Louisiana.
Even though he has not been accused of a crime, the Trump administration has argued that if Khalil is not deported, he could undermine foreign policy goals regarding fighting antisemitism.