Mahmoud Khalil appeal denied, putting him closer to deportation
An immigration appeals board has denied former Columbia University grad student Mahmoud Khalil’s latest attempt to toss out his high-profile deportation case. Khalil made headlines last year for leading pro-Palestinian protests at the university.
According to Khalil’s lawyers, the board issued a final order of removal on Thursday. Khalil’s lawyers say they’re requesting that the full appeals panel reconsider the decision.
Case for deportation
Khalil was born in Syria and has citizenship in Algeria but is a legal permanent resident of the U.S.
Federal authorities arrested him last March, alleging that he led anti-Israeli protests that were aligned with Hamas. The U.S. has designated Hamas as foreign terrorist organization since 1997.
Khalil claims he was only a spokesman for the Palestinian cause.
He spent more than 100 days in immigration detention facilities. He even missed the birth of his first child before a New Jersey judge ordered his release.
Earlier this year, a U.S. appeals panel ruled the judge in New Jersey overstepped his authority by releasing Khalil. The panel ruled 2-1 that law requires the case to fully move through the immigration courts before Khalil can challenge the decision in federal court.
Khalil’s response
Khalil released a statement after Thursday’s ruling saying, “The only thing I am guilty of is speaking out against the genocide in Palestine — and this administration has weaponized the immigration system to punish me for it.”
He called the ruling “biased and politically motivated.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
