Judge Approves Deportation of Columbia Grad Student

11 Apr at 4:48 pm

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Judge Approves Deportation of Columbia Grad Student \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ An immigration judge ruled that Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil can be deported for posing a national security risk. Khalil’s legal team argues the deportation is politically motivated and suppresses free speech. Federal judges in New Jersey and New York have temporarily blocked his removal.

Quick Looks

Immigration Judge Jamee Comans ruled Mahmoud Khalil is deportable under national security grounds.
The government invoked a foreign policy statute to justify Khalil’s removal.
Khalil is a legal U.S. resident and graduate student at Columbia University.
He was arrested on March 8 for protesting Israel’s war in Gaza.
U.S. officials claim his presence could harm foreign policy interests.
Khalil has not been charged with any crime or protest-related violations.
His wife, a U.S. citizen, is expecting their child soon.
The deportation attempt marks the first under Trump’s campus protest crackdown.
Federal courts have temporarily blocked Khalil’s removal while appeals are pending.
The Trump administration has slashed funding to Columbia over antisemitism concerns.
Immigration authorities have also targeted other anti-Israel campus activists.

Deep Look

In a high-profile case testing the limits of immigration law, national security, and free speech, a U.S. immigration judge ruled Friday that Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, can be deported. The government alleges his activism during pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations could pose “potentially serious foreign policy consequences” for the United States.

Immigration Judge Jamee E. Comans issued the ruling in Jena, Louisiana, concluding that Khalil’s continued presence in the U.S. meets the threshold for deportation under a rarely used national security statute. That law empowers the Secretary of State to order removal of individuals whose presence is deemed damaging to American foreign policy.

“The government has established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable,” Comans said at the end of the hearing. She accepted the argument that Khalil’s role in protests, especially at a politically sensitive time, could affect U.S. diplomatic relations.

Arrested Amid Protests — Without Charges

Khalil, 30, is a legal U.S. resident studying international affairs. On March 8, he was arrested by federal immigration agents in the lobby of his university-owned apartment. He was not charged with any crime related to the protests.

His arrest marked the first immigration-related detention under President Donald Trump’s newly announced policy targeting international students and residents involved in campus demonstrations, particularly those opposing Israeli military actions in Gaza.

Khalil was swiftly flown across the country to a remote immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana — thousands of miles from his attorneys and his pregnant wife, a U.S. citizen who is due to give birth soon.

Legal Battle and Accusations of Political Retaliation

Khalil’s legal team, led by attorney Marc Van Der Hout, argues that the deportation effort is a clear attempt to suppress protected political speech. “This has nothing to do with foreign policy,” Van Der Hout told the court. He accused the administration of weaponizing immigration law to punish dissent.

The deportation proceedings rely heavily on a provision of immigration law that gives the Secretary of State — now Marco Rubio under Trump’s administration — the power to deport individuals whose presence could damage foreign relations. The law has rarely been invoked.

Judge Comans herself previously challenged the government to present solid proof that Khalil’s participation in campus demonstrations had actual foreign policy implications. On Friday, however, she sided with the administration, citing the broad authority granted under the statute.

Despite the ruling, Khalil cannot yet be deported. A federal judge in New Jersey has issued a temporary injunction blocking his removal while appeals continue. A judge in New York has issued a similar order.

Political Backlash and National Fallout

Khalil was a spokesperson and negotiator for Columbia students who led protests last spring against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. He was visible in media interviews and was not wearing a mask at demonstrations. Still, Khalil was not among those arrested during the protests, nor was he involved in the occupation of a university building that prompted police intervention.

Despite this, the Trump administration has labeled him “pro-Hamas” — a reference to the militant group responsible for a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. However, no evidence has been publicly presented linking Khalil to Hamas or any other extremist organization, and no criminal charges have been filed.

The White House accused Khalil of “siding with terrorists”, inflaming tensions as the administration ramps up pressure on universities to address what it considers rising antisemitism on campus.

The administration recently announced it is withholding $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University and its medical center, citing its failure to curb antisemitic behavior on campus. Some Jewish students and faculty have reported being harassed or excluded during protests, while critics argue the university has bowed to political pressure.

Wider Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Activists

Khalil’s case is not isolated. Immigration officials under Trump have taken aggressive steps to remove noncitizens involved in pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel activism on U.S. campuses.

Recent examples include:

The arrest of a Georgetown University scholar who criticized Israel online.
The revocation of student visas for demonstrators involved in protests.
The deportation of a Brown University professor after reports she attended a funeral in Lebanon for a Hezbollah leader.

These actions have drawn criticism from free speech advocates and civil liberties groups, who argue the administration is crossing constitutional lines by punishing protected speech.

Khalil’s supporters say the deportation ruling sends a chilling message to student activists, particularly immigrants. “We are watching the criminalization of protest and dissent,” said a Columbia professor who asked to remain anonymous.

What Comes Next?

While Friday’s ruling is a legal setback for Khalil, the fight is far from over. His attorneys plan to seek a waiver and appeal, and multiple federal courts have temporarily blocked deportation orders.

For now, Khalil remains in detention, far from his wife and legal counsel, awaiting the next step in a case that is increasingly symbolic of broader political clashes over speech, activism, and immigration in America.

His wife, speaking through lawyers, said the family is enduring an “emotional and traumatic ordeal.” She remains hopeful that Khalil will be released in time to witness the birth of their child.