Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student from Columbia University and a prominent figure in last year’s protests against Israeli policies, made a heart-wrenching appeal to an immigration judge on Thursday, arguing that his deportation would equate to a death sentence.
Khalil, detained in an ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana, since his arrest in March, is facing deportation under a little-known national security clause. The Trump administration contends that his activism poses “serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States,” citing his alleged connections to Hamas, an Islamist group.
“I have dedicated a significant part of my life to fleeing harm and advocating for those who are marginalized,” Khalil stated, emphasizing that this very activism has placed him in peril.
“This is what I protested,” he elaborated. “This is what I will continue to protest. It’s crucial that everyone stands up against such injustices.”
Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil should be protected from deportation, which could put his life at risk, his attorneys say. https://t.co/2wWZoOPtUE
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 23, 2025
Khalil fears that returning to Syria or Algeria would not only jeopardize his life but also endanger his family. He expressed concerns about potential kidnapping, assassination, or torture, asserting that going back to Syria “would be suicide.”
“I’ve been targeted for my political beliefs,” he lamented. “The president has branded me as a terrorist sympathizer.”
He poignantly noted, “I’ve only spent one hour with my son in the last month, and that was just this morning.”
TERROR: Mahmoud Khalil’s wife refuses to answer when asked point blank if her husband supports Hamas. She won’t condemn Hamas either. Khalil reportedly passed out materials from Hamas media office, led a movement which held hostages in an illegally hijacked building, and was… pic.twitter.com/8Ovj55nfl6
— @amuse (@amuse) March 25, 2025
This 29-year-old activist was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and holds Algerian citizenship. Once a green card holder, his residency status has been revoked following his arrest.
During the hearing, Judge Jamee Comans concentrated on whether Khalil’s deportation would subject him to credible harm. His legal team brought forth testimonies from supportive academics and human rights advocates, yet the court has already determined that Khalil’s continued presence in the United States is a matter of national security concern.
In a rather pragmatic approach to the situation, Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin suggested that individuals like Khalil might be better off opting for voluntary departure. “We’re offering him an opportunity: he can use the CBP Home app for self-deportation,” she noted. “The United States is even providing illegal aliens with $1,000 each and a complimentary flight to self-deport, which Khalil can certainly utilize.”
Last month, Khalil controversially compared his time in the ICE detention facility to experiences in Nazi concentration camps, stirring considerable debate. The final arguments in his case are set to take place on June 2nd, at which point he will remain in detention.
