Federal judge orders deportation of Mahmoud Khalil amid alleged political retaliation

On September 12, 2025, a federal immigration judge in Louisiana announced a ruling that ordered Mahmoud Khalil to be deported to either Algeria or Syria. The decision was based on claims that Khalil failed to disclose critical information on his application for a U.S. green card, including an internship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and connections with an anti-Israel campus group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Judge Jamee Comans stated that Khalil's omissions were intentional and constituted sufficient grounds for his removal. The ruling reflects broader national security and foreign policy concerns that federal authorities have cited regarding Khalil's political affiliations. In March 2025, Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at his Manhattan apartment and remained in custody for over three months before his release in June. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz intervened, declaring that Khalil was not a flight risk and blocking his immediate deportation, allowing for review of the case concerning political retaliation for his advocacy. Khalil's legal team announced plans to appeal the immigration judge's ruling to the Board of Immigration Appeals, positioning the matter as a larger civil rights struggle. Khalil himself claimed that the actions against him were attempts by the Trump administration to silence his free speech rights. His case has drawn significant attention from various civil rights organizations, which believe the charges against him lack merit and highlight procedural irregularities in the legal process. Khalil's challenge addresses the critical question of whether a legal permanent resident in the U.S. can be detained and deported due to their political beliefs and activism, raising further implications about the protections afforded under the First Amendment.