An immigration judge has determined that a pro-Palestinian student protester, a permanent resident of the US who was detained during the Trump administration, is subject to deportation, as confirmed by his attorney.
Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jamee Comans, located in Louisiana, stated that the federal government had successfully demonstrated valid grounds for the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, according to a statement from his lawyer.
“Today, our worst fears materialized: Mahmoud was subjected to a mockery of due process, a blatant infringement of his right to a fair hearing, and immigration law was weaponized to silence dissent. This is not the end, and our struggle continues,” remarked Mr. Khalil’s attorney, Marc van der Hout, in the statement.
As it stands, Mr. Khalil’s deportation has not been scheduled, and the judge has granted his legal team until April 23 to file for a waiver, the statement indicated.
He was apprehended and transported to Louisiana, which incited protests. Several other international student protesters have faced similar actions.
Judge Comans instructed the government to clarify its case against Mr. Khalil, who is being targeted for deportation based on allegations that his protest activities pose a threat to national security.
In a letter to the court, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that Mr. Khalil’s activism might jeopardize US foreign policy.
However, he refrained from formally claiming that the Algeria-born Palestinian student has ties with Hamas, despite what officials have conveyed to the media.
‘Campaign of terror’
The undated letter referred instead to Mr. Khalil’s “participation and roles” in purportedly “anti-Semitic protests and disruptive activities that create a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.”
It did not mention any specific alleged crime.
“I want to echo what you stated previously about the utmost importance of due process rights and fundamental fairness to this court. Clearly, neither of these principles were evident in what we observed today,” Mr. Khalil conveyed to the court, according to his legal team.
A recent protest in New Jersey expressing support for Mahmoud Khalil.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took to X after the ruling, stating, “When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists, and harass Jews, you should not be in this country.”
In a separate case in New Jersey, raised by Mr. Khalil’s legal team to challenge his detention, the judge held a hearing right after the proceedings in Louisiana.
Mr. Khalil’s attorneys plan to contest the Louisiana ruling once it is fully documented, as informed to the court.
Numerous high-profile attorneys have joined Mr. Khalil’s case, viewing the proceedings as a critical test for freedom of speech and the boundaries of Trump’s authority.
The arrest of Mr. Khalil has incited outrage from critics of Trump, advocates for free speech, and some individuals on the political right, who argue that this case may have a chilling effect on freedom of expression.
“The Trump administration’s actions against universities, their researchers, and students are unprecedented in recent US history,” stated Columbia University law professor David Pozen at a teach-in event yesterday.
“American democracy is facing a crisis.”
Ramya Krishman, a senior staff attorney at Columbia’s Knight First Amendment Institute, remarked, “The administration has, frankly, unleashed a campaign of terror on immigrants in this country. It appears that no one is safe.”
Immigration agents have similarly detained and attempted to deport Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk from Turkey and Columbia student Yunseo Chung, a US permanent resident originally from South Korea.
Thus far, their deportations have been halted by the courts.
