Jun 21, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Mahmoud Khalil after arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport.

A federal immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, deported to Algeria or Syria, according to newly filed court documents.

Judge Jamee Comans denied a waiver to halt his deportation, finding that Khalil misrepresented information on his green card application – allegations Khalil’s lawyers said were baseless.

The case is playing out both in immigration court in Louisiana and in federal district court in New Jersey, where Khalil filed a civil rights complaint. Khalil’s lawyers argued that he is protected from deportation and detention while his case proceeds in federal court.

When was Mahmoud Khalil first arrested?

Khalil, a former Columbia student and spokesperson for campus protesters, was arrested March 8 amid a sweeping crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism in higher education.

The Trump administration argued that a noncitizen can be deported if their presence threatens U.S. foreign policy interests, including its fight against antisemitism. Khalil and his attorneys said antisemitism allegations are false and intended to silence criticism of Israel, infringing on the First Amendment.

In June, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered Khalil’s release, ruling that the government's attempts to detain and deport him on foreign policy grounds were unconstitutional and retaliatory.

Allegations of green card fraud

Allegations of green card fraud, added after he was detained, still loom.

Trump administration attorneys alleged that Khalil omitted key information about his affiliations with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Comans agreed.

“This Court finds that Respondent willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his applications could be denied,” Comans wrote in a Sept. 12 decision.

The allegations are “baseless," Khalil's lawyers responded. His six-month UNWRA internship was approved by Columbia for credit and listed on his application, they previously stated. Columbia University Apartheid Divest did not have individual members, they said, but rather was a collection of campus groups.

In a Sept. 17 letter to Farbiarz, attorneys wrote that Khalil was denied a hearing to present evidence on these claims, in violation of due process.

What comes next for Mahmoud Khalil?

Khalil’s lawyers said they have 30 days from Sept. 12, the date of the immigration judge’s ruling, to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. The lawyers wrote than their appeal of the decision would go to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which “almost never” grants stays of removal to noncitizens.

They asked Farbiarz to intercede in the immigration judge’s ruling and allow new claims of First Amendment retaliation to be added to the federal case.

Khalil, a Palestinian activist who was born in Syria and holds Algerian citizenship, moved to the United States on a student visa in December 2022. He became a lawful permanent resident in November 2023, is married to a U.S. citizen and has a U.S. citizen child.

“It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech,” Khalil said in a statement. "Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again."

“When their first effort to deport me was set to fail, they resorted to fabricating baseless and ridiculous allegations in a bid to silence me for speaking out and standing firmly with Palestine, demanding an end to the ongoing genocide.”

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Federal immigration judge orders activist Mahmoud Khalil deported to Syria or Algeria

Reporting by Hannan Adely, USA TODAY NETWORK / New Jersey Herald

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect