VIDEO: US judge orders Mahmoud Khalil to be deported to Algeria or Syria
A US immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, to be deported to Algeria or Syria, citing alleged omissions on his green card application, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
Immigration Judge Jamee Comans denied Khalil’s request for a waiver to block his removal, stating that he “willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his applications could be denied.” Comans added that Khalil’s “lack of candor on his I-485 form was not an oversight by an uninformed, uneducated applicant.”
The court order, dated September 12, directs that Khalil be removed from the United States to Algeria, or alternatively to Syria. Khalil’s lawyers have 30 days to appeal the ruling to the Board of Immigration Appeals and have said they intend to challenge Comans’ decision while a federal court case concerning his civil rights continues.
Federal court orders currently prohibit the government from immediately deporting or detaining him as that case proceeds.
Khalil, 30, who was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for more than 100 days earlier this year, was released on June 20 after posting bail. During his detention, he missed the birth of his child.
Responding to the deportation order, Khalil framed it as retaliation for his political activism. “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,” he said in a statement.
“When their first effort to deport me was set to fail, they resorted to fabricating baseless and ridiculous allegations in a bid to silence me for speaking out and standing firmly with Palestine, demanding an end to the ongoing genocide.”
Khalil’s case has drawn attention from civil rights groups and advocates for free speech, who argue that US authorities have wrongly equated his activism and criticism of Israel with support for extremism. Last year, Columbia University became a focal point for protests demanding divestment from companies supporting 'Israel'.
The deportation order comes amid broader concerns about the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists, with rights groups warning about potential threats to due process and freedom of expression.
