Friend –

A federal court just ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia student detained as punishment for his advocacy for Palestinian human rights.

Mahmoud spent over 3 months in ICE detention, during which time he missed the birth of his first child and his own graduation.

This is a joyous day for Mahmoud and his loved ones, as well as a win for our First Amendment rights.

The Trump administration illegally snatched students and scholars from their homes and neighborhoods, threatened their legal status, and shipped them across the country with no notice to their loved ones or legal team – all in retaliation for constitutionally protected speech.

But they refused to be silenced. With your support, we helped them fight back in court. And the Trump administration lost over and over again. Now Rümeysa Öztürk, Badar Khan Suri, Mohsen Mahdawi, and Mahmoud Khalil are free.

Dissent is never grounds for deportation.

Thank you for all your support,

The ACLU Team