Judge Orders Deportation of Columbia Activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria

A federal immigration judge has ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student associated with pro-Palestinian protests, to either Algeria or Syria. The ruling, issued last week, became public through court documents filed by Khalil's attorneys on Wednesday. Khalil, a green card holder, alleges that the Trump administration detained him for months and is seeking his deportation as part of a broader policy targeting foreign students involved in protests against Israel's actions in its conflict with Hamas. The administration has accused him of "hateful behavior and rhetoric."

On Friday, Louisiana-based Immigration Judge Jamee Comans denied Khalil's request for a waiver to prevent his removal, citing alleged misrepresentations on his green card application. Comans reiterated the order for his deportation to either Algeria, where Khalil holds citizenship, or Syria, his country of birth. Khalil has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. If the appeal is unsuccessful, he will lose his green card status and be required to leave the United States, according to his legal team.

Khalil's attorneys plan to amend his lawsuit against the administration in response to these developments. They argue that the immigration judge "rushed to a decision without providing a hearing on the evidence as due process requires, engaging in multiple procedural irregularities." Khalil stated, "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."

The legal battle began in March when Khalil was detained by immigration agents in New York. He is among several international students detained due to their involvement in pro-Palestinian campus activism, which the Trump administration alleges is linked to antisemitism—a charge the protesters deny. Initially, the administration argued for Khalil's deportation under a federal law allowing the removal of noncitizens if their presence poses "adverse foreign policy consequences." In June, a federal judge blocked the government from deporting Khalil on these grounds, noting that his "career and reputation are being damaged and his speech is being chilled." Khalil was released from detention in July.

However, the case continued under separate allegations that Khalil misrepresented his background on immigration paperwork, including undisclosed associations with a United Nations agency working with Palestinians and alleged ongoing employment at the British Embassy in Lebanon. In last week's ruling, Judge Comans found Khalil ineligible for a waiver of deportation based on these allegations, emphasizing the "gravity of his conduct." She described Khalil as an "intelligent, ivy-league educated individual" who should have known that disclosure was required. Khalil denies these misrepresentations, stating he was an unpaid intern through Columbia and ceased working at the British Embassy in Beirut in 2022. His lawyers have called the claims "baseless" and "pretextual."

The Department of Homeland Security has been contacted for comment.