Mahmoud Khalil Faces Deportation Over Anti-Israel Activities at Columbia University
An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled on Friday that Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born permanent resident of the US, could be deported due to his involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University.
The government’s move to deport Khalil is part of a broader crackdown on anti-Israel activists on university campuses, initiated by the Trump administration.
Despite the ruling, Khalil’s lawyers will have the opportunity to challenge the decision before a final determination is made.
Khalil, 30, was arrested by ICE agents inside his Manhattan apartment, where he lived with his pregnant American citizen wife. He was subsequently transferred to a facility in Jena, Louisiana, over a thousand miles away.
His lawyers have been fighting the arrest, arguing that it violated his First Amendment right to free speech. They claim Khalil was targeted for his anti-Israel activities.
The government invoked an obscure law that allows for the deportation of noncitizens who pose a potential threat to US foreign policy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio filed a memo supporting Khalil’s deportation, citing his participation in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities.”
Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian and Algerian citizen, led a student organization at Columbia sympathetic to terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
His lawyers argue that the government’s actions are politically motivated and an infringement on Khalil’s freedom of speech.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, Khalil’s fate in the US remains uncertain as the deportation proceedings continue.
