Mahmoud Khalil faces deportation to Syria or Algeria after Judge’s ruling
An immigration judge in Louisiana has ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident, to Syria or Algeria for failing to disclose certain information on his green card application. The order from Judge Jamee Comans directly conflicts with a separate injunction from a federal court in New Jersey that blocked Khalil’s deportation while it considers his claim that the action is unlawful retaliation for his pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Khalil, a former Columbia graduate student, was arrested in March as part of a Trump administration crackdown on foreign-born activists. He has not been charged with a crime but faces removal under a provision allowing deportation if a resident’s presence is deemed to harm U.S. foreign policy interests—a rationale already blocked by a federal judge. His lawyers have 30 days to appeal the latest order but expressed pessimism about its success, calling the immigration court a “kangaroo” process. In a statement, Khalil accused the administration of using “fascist tactics” to retaliate against his free speech.