A U.S. immigration judge in Louisiana ruled Friday that the Trump administration can move forward with deportation proceedings against Mahmoud Khalil.
The Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist’s case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over student protests and immigration policy. Judge James Comans at the LaSalle Immigration Court ruled that Khalil is removable under U.S. immigration law, finding the government had “established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable.”
Comans cited a recent letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that deemed Khalil’s presence in the United States a threat to foreign policy. The judge said the Department of Homeland Security met its burden of proof.
Khalil, 30, was arrested on March 8 at his Columbia University apartment and transferred to a detention facility in rural Louisiana, where he remains in custody. His attorneys have until April 23 to apply for relief from deportation.
Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and holds Algerian citizenship. He became a U.S. lawful permanent resident last year and is married to a U.S. citizen.
Despite not being charged with any crimes, the Trump administration has targeted Khalil for removal based on a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows for deportation if an immigrant is deemed a foreign policy threat.
Rubio’s letter to the immigration court accused Khalil of playing a role in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities” on campus, which the administration argues create a hostile environment for Jewish students.
While the letter acknowledged Khalil had not broken any laws, it asserted that lawful speech and associations can still warrant removal if they endanger U.S. interests abroad.
During the immigration court proceeding, Khalil stood up to offer a brief rebuke of the judge’s decision, noting that she said at a hearing earlier in the week, “There’s nothing more important to this court than due process rights and fundamental fairness.”
“Clearly what we witnessed today, neither of these principles were present today or in this whole process,” he said, adding, “This is exactly why the Trump administration sent me to this court 1,000 miles away from my family.”
Khalil has also filed a federal lawsuit in New Jersey challenging his arrest and transfer to Louisiana, which his attorneys say was designed to isolate him from his legal team and family in New York.
The defendant’s attorney Marc Van Der Hout told a federal judge in New Jersey that Khalil will appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals after the immigration judge issues her final written ruling.
“So nothing is going to happen quickly in the immigration proceeding even though she’s found him removable on the foreign policy grounds,” the lawyer said, noting he can also pursue an asylum case on Khalil’s behalf.
The White House celebrated the news in a post on X later in the afternoon, posting an image of an article about the judge’s decision.
MAHMOUD KHALIL’S LAWYERS SEEK RUBIO TESTIMONY TO EXPAND ON DHS EVIDENCE
Friday’s hearing was held before an immigration judge appointed by the Justice Department, separate from the government’s federal judicial branch.
Khalil’s case is being closely watched as a test of how far the Trump administration is willing to go in using immigration law to police foreign students’ political activity, especially those involved in campus protests over the U.S.’s role in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
