• Mahmoud Khalil, released after 104 days of detention, vows to continue protesting U.S. support for Israel.
• Khalil critiques the government's actions as an attempt to suppress pro-Palestinian voices.
• U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supports Khalil, denouncing the legal actions against him.

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student, returned to Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday after being released from a federal immigration detention center in Louisiana. Khalil, detained for 104 days, declared his intention to resume his pro-Palestinian activism, stating, “Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine” and emphasized that he would continue to protest U.S. financial backing for Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which he described as genocide. “The U.S. government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,” he asserted, according to latimes and huffpost.

Khalil's release came after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that the continuation of his detention was unwarranted, asserting that it was unusual for the government to detain a legal resident without evidence of flight risk or criminal activity. The ruling has intensified the legal battle over Khalil’s status, as the Trump administration plans to appeal, maintaining that his activism could harm U.S. foreign relations. Khalil, highlighting the inhumanity faced by detainees, noted, “Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you’re not illegal,” reflecting on the harsh realities he encountered during his detention, according to reuters and channelnewsasia.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined Khalil upon his release, condemning the Trump administration's actions as an affront to free speech rights. She described the detention as baseless and politically motivated, stating, “Mahmoud Khalil was imprisoned for 104 days... simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech,” underscoring the political implications of Khalil's case, as reported by abcnews and aljazeera.

Having missed significant family milestones, including the birth of his son, Khalil emphasized his resolve to continue advocacy for Palestinian rights. His legal struggles are far from over, as he confronts an immigration court decision mandating his deportation. Khalil, who interprets his release as a defeat for the administration’s suppression efforts, stated, “They wanted to separate me from my family, but they failed,” according to timesofindia and npr.