Trump Administration Can Deport Columbia's Mahmoud Khalil Over Pro-Palestinian Protests, Judge Rules

An immigration judge in Louisiana has ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian activist with Algerian citizenship, can be deported. Khalil, who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and holds a green card, was arrested by ICE agents on March 8 and has been detained in Jena, Louisiana since. The ruling allows the Trump administration to proceed with deportation proceedings, citing Khalil's participation in pro-Palestinian campus protests as a threat to U.S. foreign policy. The decision was based on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which argued that Khalil's presence in the U.S. could have 'potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.' Rubio's memo accused Khalil of participating in 'antisemitic protests and disruptive activities,' which allegedly fostered a 'hostile environment for Jewish students.' Khalil's legal team has until April 23 to appeal the decision and seek relief from deportation. They argue that the government failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify his deportation and that Khalil's rights to free speech and due process have been violated, describing the hearing as a 'kangaroo court.' Khalil's case has sparked widespread protests, with demonstrators rallying in Times Square, New York, demanding his release. Khalil, who is married to a U.S. citizen and whose wife is expecting, has not been charged with any crimes. His arrest was the first under President Donald Trump's crackdown on students involved in campus protests against the war in Gaza. The ruling has raised concerns about the Trump administration's use of immigration law to target critics of its foreign policy, particularly those involved in pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. Khalil's legal team is also pursuing a federal lawsuit in New Jersey challenging the legality of his detention.