Mahmoud Khalil’s supporters and advocates are breathing a sigh of relief after his release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, though they acknowledge the fight with the Trump administration over the immigration status of pro-Palestinian international college students is far from over.

“It's a tremendous victory for free speech rights and for all those who are advocating for Palestinian human rights. This detention by ICE was a clear tactic designed to chill free speech and intimidate students,” said Zainab Chaudry, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) office in Maryland.

“It's very clear that these tactics were not effective and they failed to thwart the movement. In fact, if anything, the movement is stronger than ever in terms of not just the sheer numbers of people who are speaking out and demanding justice and demanding accountability from colleges and university administrators, but also in terms of the types of protests and the language that's being used,” Chaudry added.

Khalil, a green-card holder and the former lead negotiator for the........

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