Prominent pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has been ordered deported by a U.S. immigration judge, but his lawyers say he cannot be removed while a separate federal court ruling remains in effect. Judge Jamee Comans ruled that Khalil, a 30-year-old permanent resident and Columbia University student, “willfully misrepresented material fact(s)” on his green card application to avoid denial — a finding that could see him deported to Algeria or Syria.
Khalil’s attorneys have vowed to appeal the decision and have already filed notice with a federal court in New Jersey, where a civil rights case concerning his detention is still ongoing. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz previously found that punishing Khalil over a civil immigration matter was unconstitutional, ordering his release in June after more than 100 days in detention.
Khalil, who missed the birth of his child while detained, called the ruling a politically motivated attempt to silence his activism. “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,” he said.
The case has intensified debate over the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters, which critics — including Jewish groups — argue conflates criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza with antisemitism and extremism. Rights groups have warned that the administration’s actions risk undermining free speech protections and due process, particularly for student activists.