Mahmoud Khalil released, Hurricane Erick, Panama: overnight news

United States: Judge orders Mahmoud Khalil's release. This A leading figure in the pro-Palestinian protests on the Columbia University campus was released Friday evening from the immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana, after more than three months in custody. “No one should be incarcerated for speaking out against genocide,” said the activist, who wore a Palestinian keffiyeh. Hours earlier, Judge Michael Farbiarz of the New Jersey federal court ordered his release. According to the Washington Post , the judge found that “prosecutors have not provided a legitimate argument for Khalil’s continued detention.” “There appears to be minimal credible evidence” supporting the charge that the government used the immigration system to punish the activist for his activism, the judge said. “And that would obviously be unconstitutional.” Last week, the same judge ruled that the government could not detain the activist based on claims made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to the latter, his presence on American soil posed "potentially serious consequences for American foreign policy." But the Justice Department countered that it would "not be illegal" to detain Khalil on the basis of another charge, which prompted the judge to stay his release.

Mexico: Hurricane Erick leaves two dead and causes significant material damage. The hurricane, which dissipated Thursday evening, killed a child in San Marcos, Guerrero, and an adult in the neighboring state of Oaxaca. The two-year-old boy died after trying to cross a river with his mother and being swept away by the current, El País reported . Erick also caused road blockages due to landslides and flooding, as well as power outages. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that she would visit the southwestern state of Oaxaca, one of the hardest-hit states by the hurricane. Some areas in the region remain isolated due to road closures and overflowing rivers, she said.

Panama: The government declares a state of emergency in the province of Bocas del Toro. This measure, announced Friday, amid social unrest in the country for several weeks, temporarily suspends freedom of assembly and movement in this western region. The government accuses groups of protesters of provoking clashes, looting businesses, damaging an airport, and blocking roads. The state of emergency "follows acts of violence and vandalism" that occurred during the night of Thursday to Friday, La Prensa reports . The suspension of "constitutional guarantees throughout the territory of the province of Bocas del Toro for a period of five days" aims to "restore peace and order," said the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac, on Friday. Protesters mobilized against the right-wing government of President José Raúl Mulino oppose pension reform, the signing of an agreement with Washington allowing the deployment of American troops in the country, and the possible reopening of a massive open-pit copper mine. The protests, which intensified this week, have left one person dead and around thirty injured, including several police officers, according to authorities.