Mahmoud Khalil arrives in New Jersey after release from ICE custody

Mahmoud Khalil has arrived in New Jersey after a federal judge ordered his release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in Louisiana. 

The Columbia University graduate and activist arrived on a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday after spending months in ICE custody as the Trump administration fights to deport him. 

"If they threaten me with detention, even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine," he said during a press conference after landing. "I just want to go back and continue the work I was already doing, advocating for Palestinian rights, a speech that should actually be celebrated rather than punished."