Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil Released to Hero's Welcome

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained for more than three months, returned home to a warm welcome from supporters, including prominent US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The emotional scene unfolded at Newark International Airport after Khalil's release from a federal immigration facility in Louisiana.

Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia University and a symbol of resistance against the Trump administration's campus protest clampdown, remains committed to protesting Israel's actions in Gaza. Alleging US complicity, Khalil stated, 'The US government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide.'

Joining Khalil, Ocasio-Cortez condemned his detention as a First Amendment violation, underscoring her belief that the Trump administration is unlawfully targeting him for his political views. Khalil, who was never accused of any legal transgressions during Columbia protests, criticizes the administration's stance on immigrant protestors, planning to advocate for those he left behind in detention.

(With inputs from agencies.)