American Judge Orders Deportation of Palestinian-Supporting Activist Citing Inaccurate Information on Residency Application
An immigration judge in Louisiana has ruled the removal of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to either Algeria or alternatively Syria, stating that he neglected to provide complete necessary information on his permanent residency application, as per legal documents.
Appeal Response and Federal Order
His legal team stated they plan to appeal the removal ruling and noted that a federal court’s separate directives presently prohibit the authorities from immediately deporting or detaining him while his civil rights proceedings continues.
“It is no surprise that the administration persists to retaliate against me for exercising my freedom of expression,” he stated in a response. “This latest effort, through a unjust immigration court, exposes their true colors yet again.”
Judge’s Finding and Reasoning
The order dated 12 September stated that the lack of full reporting on Khalil’s forms “cannot be considered an oversight by an unaware individual … rather, this court determines that the defendant wilfully misrepresented key fact(s).”
Judge Jamee Comans ordered: “This order herewith additionally decreed that the individual be removed from the United States to Algeria, or in the alternative to Syria.”
Background and Recent Circumstances
Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the United States who is wed to a US citizen and has a US-citizen son, was held for 90 days beginning in March and faced possible removal. His wife was pregnant at the time, and Khalil missed the birth of their child while detained.
A former Columbia University student and among the most prominent organizers of countrywide pro-Gaza campus demonstrations, Khalil was freed from detention in June but has experienced continued risk of deportation from federal authorities.
Political Backdrop
The government has taken action on pro-Palestinian activists such as Khalil, labeling them antisemitic and supporters of radicalism.
Protest groups, some of which are Jewish communities, contend that criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza and its control of Palestinian territories does not constitute antisemitism, and that advocacy for Palestinians should not be seen as endorsement for extremism.
