Pro-Palestinian activist in US Mahmoud Khalil faces deportation to Algeria

• The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court lacked the jurisdiction to order Khalil’s release, potentially allowing the Trump administration to re-detain him while his immigration case, based on alleged application fraud and "foreign policy" grounds, continues.
• Despite ongoing appeals, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it plans to deport Khalil to Algeria, framing the move as an enforcement of a lawful removal order against an activist whose presence is deemed a threat to US foreign policy.

Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student, is facing imminent deportation to Algeria following a recent federal appeals court ruling.

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have indicated plans to re-arrest and deport him, citing alleged misrepresentations on his green card application.

Khalil, who has been a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian protests, denies the accusations and maintains that ongoing appeals prevent any lawful deportation.

Khalil first gained attention as a leader in anti-‘Israel’ demonstrations at Columbia University in 2024.

He entered the United States on a student visa, later obtaining permanent residency through marriage to a US citizen.

On March 8, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested him in New York, detaining him for 104 days in Louisiana.

A federal district court ordered his release on bail in June 2025, but the government appealed the decision.

The legal battle escalated when an immigration judge ordered Khalil's deportation to either Algeria or Syria on September 12, 2025, based on claims of application fraud.

Khalil holds Algerian citizenship through family ties. On January 15, a federal appeals court reversed the lower court's release order, paving the way for his re-detention.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said on Thursday that deportation to Algeria is the current plan.

In response, Khalil asserted that he cannot be detained or deported while his immigration appeals are active. He framed the actions against him as retaliation for his advocacy for Palestinian rights.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly supported Khalil, describing him as a New Yorker whose case raises concerns about free speech protections for pro-Palestinian expression.