A U.S. judge has ordered the Trump administration to deport Mahmoud Khalil. He is a Columbia University graduate who was arrested last month for his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests.
No Criminal Charges Filed Against Khalil
Mr Khalil, a permanent legal resident of the US, has not been accused of a crime. In a letter from detention, he said his arrest directly resulted from advocating Palestinian rights.
The government has relied on an old Cold War immigration law. The government announced that his stay in the US was contrary to American foreign policy interests.
Appeal Window Granted
The ruling by the immigration court doesn’t imply Mr Khalil would be deported within hours. His lawyers were granted until 23 April to appeal against the directive.
The activist has been in a detention centre in Louisiana since 8 March, when immigration officials informed him that he was being deported for his participation in protests against the Gaza war.
Who Is Mahmoud Khalil?
The 30-year-old was a leading voice in Columbia University’s anti-war protests against the Gaza war last year.
The Trump administration quoted a 1952 law authorizing the government to direct that a person be deported if the presence of that person in the country might cause adverse effects for American foreign policy.
The judge stated that the Trump administration could proceed with its attempt to deport Mr Khalil because the argument that he has “adverse foreign policy consequences” for the US is “facially reasonable.”
Mahmoud Khalil Responds in Court
Mr Khalil, otherwise taciturn, spoke to the court following the ruling.
“I would like to quote what you said last time that there’s nothing that’s more important to this court than due process rights and fundamental fairness,” Mr Khalil said in court.
“Clearly what we witnessed today, neither of these principles were present today or in this whole process,” he said. “This is exactly why the Trump administration has sent me to this court, 1,000 miles away from my family.”
ACLU Condemns Decision
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described the decision as “pre-written”.
The rights group said the ruling came less than 48 hours after the US government “handed over the ‘evidence’ they have on Mr. Khalil – which included nothing more than a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that made clear Mr Khalil had not committed a crime and was being targeted solely based on his speech”.
Deportation Justified to ‘Protect Jewish Students’
The government, particularly Rubio, has said its efforts to deport Mr Khalil were also to “protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the United States” even if his activities were “otherwise lawful”.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised the judge’s ruling on Friday.
“It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America,” she wrote on social media. “When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. Good riddance.”
Lawyers Deny Antisemitism Allegations
Mr Khalil’s lawyers have consistently stated that proof of antisemitism has not been put forward.
His lawyer Marc Van Der Hout decried the ruling and stated his team was going to campaign on Mr Khalil’s “right to speak out against what’s going down in the US”.
The lawyers also stated that they were expecting more hearings in the case.
“I actually had a long conversation with him after the hearing,” Johnny Sinodis, another member of Mr Khalil’s legal team, told the BBC later on Friday. “He’s feeling confident. He’s feeling supported.”
“Mahmoud is not against the United States, he is not antisemitic,” he said. “He has done nothing wrong.”
Mahmoud Khalil Files Separate Lawsuit
Mr Khalil has also sued his arrest in federal court in New Jersey as unconstitutional. His attorneys have stated that the determination in that case could prevent his deportation in case of a victory.
The Trump administration has independently charged that the student committed immigration fraud. He allegedly failed to reveal certain information on his green card application.
These involved working for the British embassy in Beirut and for the United Nations Palestinian refugees’ and migrants’ agency. However, no fresh evidence from the government in regard to this has been produced.
In a statement, White House Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers said the Trump administration is “committed to the enforcement of our immigration laws and will take swift action to remove aliens who pose serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States”.
