A federal judge ordered Wednesday that immigrant Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist behind some of the radical protests at Columbia University, be deported — either to Algeria, or to his native Syria.
Khalil was arrested in early March by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Trump administration sought to have him deported, despite the fact that he had become a legal permanent resident (though not yet a U.S. citizen).
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the arrest: “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
President Donald Trump had campaigned on a promise to deport foreign activists who had participated in the antisemitic “encampments” that sprung up across universities campuses in the late spring of 2024.
Khalil’s arrest had been part of fulfilling that promise. The left rallied around him, and he was able to secure his release pending adjudication of his case. He also filed a $20 million lawsuit against the administration.
Now, however, he appears to be heading for deportation again. As Politico reported on Wednesday:
An immigration judge in Louisiana has ordered pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., deported to Syria or Algeria for failing to disclose certain information on his green card application, according to documents filed in federal court Wednesday by his lawyers.
Khalil’s lawyers suggested in a filing that they intend to appeal the deportation order, but expressed concern that the appeal process will likely be swift and unfavorable.
The order from the immigration judge, Jamee Comans, came despite a separate order in Khalil’s federal case in New Jersey blocking his deportation while that court considers Khalil’s legal argument that his detention and deportation are unlawful retaliation for his Palestinian advocacy.
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