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, adding that separate federal court orders remained 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.
While detained, Mr Khalil's wife, a US citizen, gave birth to their son.
In March, the US government also accused Mr Khalil of leaving out details of his previous associations on immigration documentation, including membership of UNRWA - the UN agency that works with Palestinians - and continuing employment at the British Embassy in Beirut.
Responding to the recent decision, Mr Khalil added: 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.
A claim for $20 million in damages has been filed by Mr Khalil's lawyers, 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 as 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 positioned him in the public eye, and he has been described as a spokesperson for those advocating for Palestinian rights.
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, adding that separate federal court orders remained 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.
While detained, Mr Khalil's wife, a US citizen, gave birth to their son.
In March, the US government also accused Mr Khalil of leaving out details of his previous associations on immigration documentation, including membership of UNRWA - the UN agency that works with Palestinians - and continuing employment at the British Embassy in Beirut.
Responding to the recent decision, Mr Khalil added: 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.
A claim for $20 million in damages has been filed by Mr Khalil's lawyers, 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 as 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 positioned him in the public eye, and he has been described as a spokesperson for those advocating for Palestinian rights.
