U.S. Accuses Columbia Student of Hiding UNRWA Role/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, is accused by U.S. authorities of failing to disclose his work for UNRWA on a visa application. The case has sparked controversy over free speech, as Khalil’s supporters say he’s being targeted for his political views. A judge has paused his deportation while his legal challenge is heard.
Legal Showdown: Quick Looks
- Khalil Accused of Omitting UNRWA Role: U.S. says he failed to disclose being a political officer for the U.N. agency.
- UNRWA Under Scrutiny: Israel accused 12 staff of aiding Hamas on Oct. 7; U.S. froze funding.
- Political Targeting Alleged: Supporters claim Khalil is being punished for pro-Palestinian activism.
- Detained Since March 8: ICE sent Khalil to Louisiana after his arrest in NYC.
- Student Visa Holder: Entered U.S. in 2022, applied for permanent residency in 2024.
- Additional Omissions: U.S. alleges he also failed to disclose work at British Embassy and Columbia Divest membership.
- Judge Blocks Immediate Deportation: Habeas case will proceed in federal court.
- Government Claims Foreign Policy Risk: Cites Khalil’s presence as a potential threat to diplomatic interests.
- Lawyers Push Back: Legal team says deportation rationale is “weak and pretextual.”
- Campus Protests Continue: Khalil emerged as a leading voice in Columbia’s pro-Palestinian movement.
U.S. Accuses Columbia Student of Hiding UNRWA Role
Deep Look
NEW YORK – The U.S. government has accused Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and prominent pro-Palestinian activist, of failing to disclose past employment with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on his student visa application—a move officials say warrants deportation.
Khalil, who holds Algerian citizenship and was born in Syria, entered the U.S. in 2022 on a student visa and applied for permanent residency in 2024. He was detained on March 8 and transferred to Louisiana by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
The Trump administration alleges Khalil’s continued presence in the U.S. poses “serious foreign policy consequences,” pointing to his undisclosed role as a political officer for UNRWA in 2023. The U.S. also accuses him of failing to mention previous employment with the British Embassy’s Syria office in Beirut and his involvement in Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student group supporting divestment from companies tied to Israeli occupation.
UNRWA Controversy
UNRWA, the UN agency serving Palestinian refugees, became a political lightning rod after Israel alleged in January 2024 that 12 UNRWA staff were linked to Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israeli civilians. In response, the U.S. froze funding to the agency. Though an internal UN investigation later said nine of 32,000 employees were under suspicion, the political fallout persists.
Khalil’s case places that controversy into sharp relief—raising questions about due process, national security, and freedom of speech in higher education.
Legal Pushback
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a court filing Sunday that Khalil should be deported for “withholding membership in certain organizations” on his visa forms. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked his deportation while a habeas corpus petition proceeds in New Jersey.
Ramzi Kassem, a CLEAR legal clinic co-director and one of Khalil’s attorneys, called the new grounds for deportation “pretextual” and an attempt to retaliate against his client’s political beliefs.
“That the government scrambled to add them at the 11th hour only highlights how its motivation from the start was to retaliate against Mr. Khalil for his protected speech in support of Palestinian rights and lives,” Kassem told the New York Times.
Khalil, a key figure in Columbia’s high-profile pro-Palestinian protests, has described himself as a “political prisoner” and said he’s being targeted for dissenting from U.S. foreign policy.
A Free Speech Flashpoint
The case has drawn nationwide attention as a test of academic freedom and political speech, particularly in elite institutions where students have protested U.S. support for Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Jewish and civil liberties groups have also weighed in, some condemning the government’s actions as overreach, others supporting increased scrutiny of individuals tied to UNRWA amid the allegations against its staff.
What’s Next
Khalil’s fate will be decided in federal court, where his legal team will argue against deportation on both procedural and constitutional grounds. Meanwhile, protests calling for his release continue outside ICE offices in New York and Louisiana.
If the judge ultimately rules in Khalil’s favor, it could set a precedent for how visa-related omissions are handled in politically sensitive cases—particularly for students and activists from conflict regions.
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