Immigration Judge Orders Deportation of Pro-Hamas Columbia Activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria

An immigration judge in Louisiana has ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student and key figure in 2024 pro-Palestinian campus protests, to Algeria or Syria after ruling he committed fraud on his green card application. The decision underscores President Trump's commitment to removing terrorist sympathizers from American soil.

Khalil, a Palestinian activist and lead negotiator in Columbia's Gaza-war protests, helped organize occupations that disrupted the Ivy League campus in spring 2024. Federal immigration agents arrested him in New York in March 2024, detaining him for his role in what President Trump called "pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American" activities. On Truth Social, President Trump declared his administration "will not tolerate" such conduct on college campuses, labeling Khalil "pro-Hamas" and vowing to "find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country."

Deportation efforts stemmed from Khalil's immigration violations, including willful omission of material facts in his lawful permanent resident application to evade denial. Released from detention in June 2024, Khalil sought asylum, which Judge Jamee Comans denied on June 20, 2025, ordering removal to Algeria—his claimed origin—or Syria.

On September 12, 2025, Comans rejected Khalil's waiver motion, stating the court "cannot and will not condone" his fraud by granting relief. His attorneys plan to appeal within 30 days to the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Khalil claimed the ruling retaliates for his "free speech," calling it a "kangaroo immigration court." But the order enforces immigration law against those who deceive authorities while backing Hamas-linked chaos, aligning with President Trump's pledge to secure borders and campuses.