US court allows Khalil's deportation, cites national security risk

An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled on Friday that Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil can be deported from the US, citing national security risk linked to his participation in pro-Palestinian campus protests. Immigration Judge Jamee E Comans stated that the US government provided "clear and convincing evidence" that Khalil’s presence in the country could cause “potentially serious foreign policy consequences,” meeting the legal threshold for removal. This allows the President Donald Trump administration to put in its effort to remove Khalil a month after he was arrested in New York. Judge Comans said the government’s contention that Khalil’s presence in the US posed “potentially serious foreign policy consequences” was enough to satisfy requirements for his deportation.Rubio wrote in the letter that Khalil should be removed for his role in "antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States."
Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, holds Algerian citizenship and became a US lawful permanent resident last year. Khalil's wife is a US citizen. According to Reuters, Khalil is in the Louisiana jail where he was transferred on March 8 following his arrest at his Columbia University apartment. Khalil’s lawyers were given April 23 to apply for relief before Judge Coman considers whether to issue the deportation order. Khalil’s arrest was part of President Trump’s broader crackdown on Palestinian activists and students who joined anti-Israel protests and raised their voices against the war in Gaza.Khalil hasn’t been accused of breaking any laws during the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. However, the US government has indicated that noncitizens who take part in such demonstrations could face deportation if their actions are seen as promoting views the administration deems antisemitic or supportive of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for the October 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel.