A United States immigration judge has ruled that a prominent Palestinian-rights advocate, Mahmoud Khalil, should be deported for allegedly misrepresenting information in his green card application.
The ruling, issued by Judge Jamee Comans in Louisiana, concludes that the 30-year-old activist “deliberately concealed material facts in order to bypass the immigration system.”
As a result of the decision, Khalil faces the prospect of being removed to either Algeria, his country of citizenship, or Syria, where he was born.
Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident, insists the case is politically motivated. In a statement released through the American Civil Liberties Union, he accused the Trump administration of targeting him for his outspoken advocacy in support of Palestinian rights.
The activist gained prominence during the 2024 Gaza war protests at Columbia University, where he was a key figure in negotiations between student activists and university administration. While Khalil has denied leading the Columbia University Apartheid Divest movement, he became a visible voice for pro-Palestinian causes at the university.
His legal team has vowed to appeal the ruling, emphasizing that federal court injunctions are currently in place preventing his detention or deportation. Additionally, Khalil has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the U.S. government, accusing it of false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and reputational damage.
Earlier this year, Khalil was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for three months in Louisiana as part of a wider federal crackdown on universities accused of not curbing antisemitism. He was released in June after a federal judge ruled that he posed neither a security nor flight risk. During his detention, Khalil’s wife, a U.S. citizen, gave birth to their first child.
The government argues that Khalil failed to disclose previous associations, including ties to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which assists Palestinian refugees, as well as employment with the British Embassy in Beirut. Khalil has dismissed these claims as fabricated, accusing authorities of attempting to silence his advocacy.
Former President Trump has consistently accused pro-Palestinian activists of supporting Hamas, and he hailed Khalil’s arrest as “the first of many to come” in a broader effort to target such activism.
Despite the deportation ruling, Khalil remains defiant, stating, “They want to silence me, but I will continue to stand for justice in Palestine and against the ongoing genocide.”
