Federal judge orders Mahmoud Khalil deported over green card omissions; Khalil plans appeal citing political retaliation. Photo: X.
A federal immigration judge has ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident, must be deported to either Algeria or Syria, citing deliberate omissions on his U.S. green card application. Judge Jamee Comans issued the decision on September 12 in Louisiana, finding that Khalil failed to disclose key affiliations, including an internship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and involvement with the Columbia University Apartheid Divest, an anti-Israel campus organization.
Court filings unsealed Wednesday and shared by the American Civil Liberties Union indicated that Comans considered these activism ties central to her ruling. She denied Khalil’s motion for relief, stating that the omissions were intentional and constituted valid grounds for removal.
Federal authorities contend that Khalil’s alleged misrepresentations involve politically sensitive connections, which raise both national security and foreign policy concerns.
Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8 at his Manhattan residence. He remained in detention in Louisiana for over three months before being released in June.
At that time, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Khalil was neither a flight risk nor a threat to public safety. Farbiarz also temporarily blocked his removal while reviewing Khalil’s claim that the government’s actions represented retaliation for his protected political speech.
Khalil’s legal team confirmed Wednesday that they intend to appeal the ruling to the Board of Immigration Appeals. They described the case as part of a larger civil rights struggle.
In a statement, Khalil said, “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.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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