Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born permanent resident of the US, may be deported for his involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University, according to an immigration judge ruling in Louisiana federal court. The government is seeking to remove Khalil from the US over his anti-Israel activism at Columbia, although his lawyers will have the opportunity to fight the proceedings before a final decision is made. Khalil was arrested by ICE agents in his university-funded Manhattan apartment, where he lived with his pregnant American wife, as part of a crackdown by the Trump administration on anti-Israel protesters at university campuses. He has been transferred to a lockup in Louisiana, far away from his wife, and his lawyers are challenging the arrest in both immigration court and in New Jersey federal court.
The government invoked an obscure law that allows the Secretary of State to deport noncitizens who potentially threaten US foreign policy in order to justify Khalil’s deportation. A memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio was submitted as evidence against Khalil, citing his participation in anti-Semitic protests and disruptive activities that create a hostile environment for Jewish students in the US. The memo argued that Khalil’s presence in the country undermines efforts to combat anti-Semitism and protect Jewish students from harassment and violence, aligning with the Trump administration’s authority to deport noncitizens whose presence harms US foreign policy interests. Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian and Algerian citizen, previously worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees before moving to the US in 2022 to study at Columbia.
Khalil’s involvement in leading Columbia United Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an umbrella organization of radical student groups sympathetic to terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, has been a focal point in the government’s case against him. CUAD has previously called for the “end of Western civilization” and Khalil was a key negotiator between CUAD and Columbia administrators during encampment protests on campus. His lawyer, Marc Van Der Hout, argued that Rubio’s decision to deport Khalil is not based on foreign policy considerations, suggesting that the government is targeting him for his beliefs, which are protected under free speech laws. Khalil’s lawyers have maintained that the government’s evidence against him is lacking and that immigration authorities are unfairly targeting him for his political views.
At a video press conference, Khalil’s legal team claimed that the government’s case against Khalil was weak and lacked substantial evidence to justify his deportation. They argued that immigration authorities were attacking Khalil for his protected free speech rights rather than any legitimate national security concerns. Khalil’s lawyers are continuing to fight his deportation on multiple fronts, including challenging the grounds for his arrest in both immigration court and federal court. The case has drawn attention due to its implications for free speech, political activism, and the use of immigration laws to target individuals based on their beliefs and activities. Khalil’s future in the US remains uncertain, pending further legal proceedings and decisions regarding his deportation.
