Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil should be deported on national security grounds related to his pro-Palestinian activism, a U.S. immigration judge ruled in a controversial decision Friday.
Judge Jamee E. Comans found that Khalil’s continued presence in the country could cause “potentially serious foreign policy ramifications,” meeting the legal bar for removal. The decision comes as part of a tighter move by the Biden administration against campus protests deemed supportive of Hamas and other militant groups.
Khalil, a lawful U.S. resident and prominent activist for Palestinian rights was detained on March 8 by federal agents at his university apartment. He was soon transferred to an immigration holding facility in Jena, Louisiana—away from his lawyers and his pregnant American wife. 
Though not charged with a crime, Khalil was an outspoken figure in Columbia University student protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza. His attorneys contend government actions are a free speech abuse, and a New Jersey federal judge has temporarily delayed his deportation.
The Trump administration pointed to a seldom-used law that allows the Secretary of State to deport noncitizens whose beliefs are deemed to be prejudicial to U.S. foreign relations. Legal scholars say this sets a very bad precedent and really puts a chill on campuses to avoid political dissent.
With ongoing legal action, Khalil’s fate hangs in balance, igniting national conversation about academic freedom, immigration policy and freedom of expression.
