US Authorities Order the Deportation of Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria

In a legal development that sparked widespread controversy, a US federal judge ordered the deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, one of the prominent faces of the pro-Palestine student movement in the United States, to Algeria or Syria, despite his legal permanent residency, marriage to an American citizen, and being a father to a child born in the United States.

The decision was made by Judge Jamie Comans from Louisiana, who stated in his ruling issued on September 12, that he "decided to deport the defendant to Algeria, or to Syria as an alternative option," based on what he considered to be "deliberate misrepresentation of essential information" in Khalil's application for a Green Card.

"The failure to fully disclose information was not due to oversight or ignorance, but the court finds that the defendant intentionally misrepresented one or more material facts in his application."

Mahmoud Khalil (30 years old) quickly condemned the ruling, describing it as "retaliatory," stating in a statement issued by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU):

"It is not surprising that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for exercising my freedom of expression... Their latest attempt, through a sham immigration court, reveals their true nature once again."

Khalil, who was a student at Columbia University in New York, is considered one of the leading figures of the pro-Palestine student movement at American universities, especially during the wave of protests that erupted in 2024.

He was detained by US immigration authorities in March, holding him for about three months before being released in June.

Since then, he has faced a constant threat of deportation.

Despite being a legal permanent resident, married to an American, and having a child born on US soil, the case against Khalil remains active, amid accusations from the US administration that he poses a "potential threat to US foreign policy."

In contrast, the judicial decision has drawn widespread criticism, with rights advocates and legal experts considering it a "potential violation of the US Constitution," especially as it targets a political activist exercising his right to freedom of expression and protest.

This decision comes amid a political campaign launched by President Donald Trump against several major US universities, including Columbia and Harvard, due to what he described as their "leniency towards foreign students and opponents of US policies," where he reduced federal grants and threatened to withdraw academic accreditation.

The Trump administration justified its efforts to deport Khalil by stating that his presence in the country could have "potentially dire consequences for foreign policy," according to its arguments before the court.