US Court Orders Deportation of Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil

Sat Oct 18 2025 10:55:42 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A US immigration judge has ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian activist, on grounds of alleged inaccuracies in his green card application. Khalil plans to appeal the decision amidst claims of political retaliation.

Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and permanent US resident, faces deportation to Algeria or Syria according to a ruling by an immigration judge. The decision was made due to claims of deliberate misrepresentation in his immigration paperwork. Khalil, who gained attention during the 2024 Gaza protests at Columbia University, has stated that the ruling is a retaliation for his activism. His lawyers plan to appeal, with ongoing legal protections in place against his deportation.

An immigration judge in the US has ordered the deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to either Algeria or Syria, over claims he omitted information from a green card application.

Judge Jamee Comans, based in Louisiana, said Mr Khalil 'wilfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process'.

In a statement to the American Civil Liberties Union, Mr Khalil said: 'It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech.'

Mr Khalil, a permanent US resident of Palestinian descent, was a prominent figure during the 2024 Gaza war protests at Columbia University, where he studied.

Lawyers for Mr Khalil, 30, said they would appeal against the decision, and added that separate federal court orders remain in effect that prohibit the government from deporting or detaining him.

In March, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials detained Mr Khalil as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on universities it claims have failed to tackle antisemitism.

Mr Khalil, born in Syria and a citizen of Algeria, was held in an immigration facility in Louisiana for three months before a federal judge ruled that he was neither a flight risk nor a threat to his community.

On 20 June, the judge ruled Mr Khalil must be released while his wife, a US citizen, gave birth to their son.

The US government has accused Mr Khalil of leaving out details of his previous associations on immigration documentation, including membership in UNRWA - the UN agency that works with Palestinians - and 'continuing employment' at the British Embassy in Beirut.

Responding to the recent decision, Mr Khalil stated: '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.'

In June, Mr Khalil's lawyers filed a claim for $20m in damages alleging false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and being smeared as an antisemite.

Trump has repeatedly alleged that pro-Palestinian activists, including Mr Khalil, support Hamas, a group designated a terrorist organization by the US. The president argues these protesters should be deported and called Mr Khalil's arrest 'the first of many to come'.

Mr Khalil's role in Columbia's 2024 protests placed him in the public eye. While negotiating with university officials, he served as a mediator between protesters and administration.

Activists supporting Israel have accused Mr Khalil of leading Columbia University Apartheid Divest (Cuad), which demands the university divest from financial ties to Israel and ceasefire in Gaza. Mr Khalil has denied leading the group, claiming he served only as a spokesperson and mediator.