Judge Orders Mahmoud Khalil Deported to Algeria or Syria

An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled Wednesday that pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil must be deported to either Algeria or Syria after finding he willfully omitted key information from his green card application. The ruling, issued Sept. 12 by Judge Jamee Comans, concludes Khalil “misrepresented material facts” to evade removal proceedings and grants neither waiver nor stay of removal.

Nut Graf: Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident of Syrian birth and Algerian citizenship, rose to prominence during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University last year. His legal team vows to appeal, arguing the deportation order conflicts with an existing federal injunction barring his removal until his civil-rights case is resolved.

Key Details

  • Judge’s Findings: Comans found Khalil failed to disclose his ties to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and his involvement with the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group on his residency application, characterizing the omissions as intentional misrepresentations.
  • Legal Context: Federal District Judge Michael Farbiarz previously deemed Khalil’s detention unconstitutional and barred his removal, citing First Amendment concerns. That injunction remains in effect, delaying any immediate deportation.
  • Detention History: U.S. agents arrested Khalil on March 8 at campus housing; he spent over 100 days in a Louisiana immigration facility before being released in June after a successful constitutional challenge.
  • Next Steps: Khalil’s lawyers have 30 days to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. They anticipate a rapid review but acknowledge such stays of removal are rarely granted.

Background and Reactions

Khalil, 30, whose wife is a U.S. citizen and whose young son was born during his detention, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In an ACLU-backed statement, he condemned the administration’s actions as “fascist tactics” aimed at silencing his advocacy for Palestinian human rights. The Justice Department has not publicly responded to his attorneys’ allegations of procedural irregularities.

Broader Impact

The case underscores tensions over free-speech rights on U.S. campuses and the use of immigration law to address political activism. Civil-rights groups warn that upholding Comans’s decision could set a precedent for deporting other foreign-born activists.