A former Columbia University student accused of concealing ties to pro-Palestinian groups and leading violent campus protests has been ordered deported by a Louisiana immigration judge, sparking a political clash between the Trump administration and its critics, Blaze Media reported.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Algerian citizen who entered the United States on a student visa in 2022, was denied a waiver to remain in the country after Immigration Judge Jamee Comans ruled he had misrepresented facts on his immigration application.
“Mr. Khalil willfully misrepresented material facts for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his applications could be denied,” Comans wrote. “This Court cannot and will not condone such an action by granting a discretionary waiver.”
The ruling, issued Friday and filed Wednesday, found Khalil in violation of his visa terms and ordered his removal. Khalil’s attorneys said they have 30 days to appeal.
The administration has accused Khalil of hiding his affiliations with several groups, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency of Palestine Refugees and Columbia University’s Apartheid Divest organization. Officials also claim he led a violent anti-Israel protest on campus that targeted Jewish students.
“It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech,” Khalil said in a statement. “Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again.”
He continued: “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. Such fascist tactics will never deter me from continuing to advocate for my people’s liberation.”
The case has quickly become a proxy fight over immigration and free speech, with Khalil embraced by left-leaning activists who accuse President Donald Trump of discriminating against pro-Palestinian voices. In July, Khalil filed a $20 million lawsuit against the administration, alleging he was illegally targeted.
“Mr. Khalil is seeking $20 million, which he would use to help others similarly targeted by the Trump administration and Columbia University,” the Center for Constitutional Rights said in a press release. “He would accept, in lieu of payment, an official apology and abandonment of the administration’s unconstitutional policy.”
Trump officials have strongly rejected Khalil’s claims.
“Mahmoud Khalil’s claim that DHS officials branded him as an antisemite and terrorized him and his family is absurd,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for Homeland Security. “It was Khalil who terrorized Jewish students on campus. He ‘branded’ himself as an antisemite through his own hateful behavior and rhetoric.”
McLaughlin added: “It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America. The Trump administration acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property.”
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