(NEW YORK)— PEN America today welcomed a federal judge’s ruling that Mahmoud Khalil must be released as early as Friday from a Louisiana detention center where he has been held wrongfully since his arrest in early March. The free expression and writers group has expressed outrage over the continued detention and potential deportation of the Columbia University graduate student in retaliation for his political speech on Palestinian rights.
Kristen Shahverdian, Campus Free Speech director at PEN America, said: “Khalil’s arrest and detention is a travesty of justice, and has raised unambiguous alarm bells for free expression and fundamental human rights for months, during which his wife gave birth to their first child. His treatment has been not only cruel but illustrates the profound threat to democracy posed by the Trump administration.”
In a ruling Wednesday, Judge Michael Farbiarz of the U.S. District Court of New Jersey gave the federal government until Friday morning to appeal his preliminary injunction ruling that Khalil must be released.
“Any appeal by the government,” said Shahverdian, “must be swiftly adjudicated, and Khalil released during appeal so that he can be reunited with his wife and newborn baby. That would be the only just conclusion to this fundamental abuse of his rights.”
Khalil immigrated to the United States in 2022 on a student visa. He became a permanent legal resident (green card holder) in 2024, according to The Associated Press.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057