Immigration Judge Orders Deportation of Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria

An immigration judge has ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria, citing alleged omissions in his green card application. Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March and released in June. Judge Jamee Comans, based in Jena, Louisiana, denied Khalil's motion for a waiver to prevent his removal, stating that his lack of candor on the I-485 form was not an oversight by an uninformed, uneducated applicant. Khalil's attorneys have 30 days from the Friday order to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. In a statement, Khalil said, "It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech. Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again."