US judge orders ex-Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil deported to Algeria or Syria

The US immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, to be deported to Algeria or Syria, citing alleged omissions on his green card application, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

Immigration Judge Jamee Comans denied Khalil’s request for a waiver to block his removal, stating that he “willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his applications could be denied.”

Comans added that such actions could not be excused, emphasizing that Khalil’s “lack of candor on his I-485 form was not an oversight by an uninformed, uneducated applicant.”

Khalil, who was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March and released on bail in June, criticized the decision, framing it as retaliation for his political activism.

“It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech. Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again,” he said in a statement.

“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 (Israeli) genocide. Such fascist tactics will never deter me from continuing to advocate for my people’s liberation.”

Khalil’s attorneys have 30 days to appeal the ruling to the Board of Immigration Appeals.