Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) denies a request for temporary release filed on behalf of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian protester currently in federal custody. Khalil’s wife, who gave birth to their son over the weekend, says she was forced to welcome their child alone, calling ICE’s decision “inhumane” and “a deliberate act of cruelty.”
Khalil, a Palestinian national and U.S. resident, is being held at an ICE detention facility in Louisiana, where he has remained since his arrest last month following a protest in support of Gaza. Though his immigration status is reportedly under review, his legal team and supporters argue that his detention is politically motivated, tied to his activism on behalf of Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza and protests at U.S. universities, including his alma mater, Columbia.
Attorneys for Khalil submitted an emergency request on Sunday to the ICE field office in New Orleans, asking for a two-week humanitarian parole so he could be present for the birth of his child. The request was denied within 30 minutes. In a statement released Monday, Khalil’s wife says she was devastated by the denial and had hoped ICE would show compassion in a moment of profound personal significance.
“This wasn’t just about seeing his child,” she writes. “This was about showing our family, our newborn son, that even in the darkest places, there could still be basic human decency. Instead, we were shown the opposite.”
ICE has not issued a public comment about the decision. A spokesperson previously said that Khalil is being held pending the resolution of “immigration-related matters,” but provided no details about his case. His attorneys have confirmed that Khalil has no criminal record and that he was cooperating with legal proceedings related to his status before being detained.
Khalil’s arrest is part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters across college campuses and in major cities, particularly as public sentiment has grown more polarized during the latest Israel-Gaza conflict. The situation at Columbia University drew national attention earlier this month after several student-led demonstrations called for divestment from companies supporting Israel’s military operations. Khalil, who graduated with a master’s degree in public policy from Columbia, has been active in organizing peaceful protests and community teach-ins focused on Palestinian human rights.
Civil rights groups have condemned the detention of Khalil as excessive and punitive. Organizations including the Center for Constitutional Rights and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee have called for his immediate release and accused ICE of using its detention authority to suppress constitutionally protected political speech.
Immigration experts say it is uncommon but not unprecedented for ICE to deny family-related temporary release requests, especially under current enforcement priorities. Under the Biden administration, ICE policy officially prioritizes individuals deemed to be national security or public safety threats for detention and removal. Advocates argue that Khalil’s case does not meet these criteria and that his continued detention reflects broader political pressure surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Khalil’s legal team is now preparing a formal appeal to the denial, along with a petition for habeas corpus in federal court. They are also requesting congressional intervention, and several progressive lawmakers have expressed concern over the handling of Khalil’s case, though no formal statements have been issued.
As the family navigates this personal and legal ordeal, Khalil’s wife says they remain determined to fight. “Our son deserves to grow up knowing his father stood for justice,” she says. “And that justice is still worth fighting for.”
