Immigration judge orders Mahmoud Khalil deportation to Syria or Algeria over green-card fraud, court documents show

An immigration judge in Louisiana ordered Mahmoud Khalil deported to Syria or Algeria after ruling he knowingly committed fraud on his Form I-485, according to newly filed court documents.

Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and activist who participated in campus protests, was found to have omitted involvement with United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) movement on his residency application, the ruling said.

Immigration Judge Jamee Comans on Sept. 12 rejected three motions filed by Khalil’s lawyers, including a bid to obtain a waiver to remedy factual omissions in his green-card application. Comans ruled the waiver was not designed to reward a lack of candor by applicants admitted as immigrant visa holders who then intentionally engage in dishonesty by misrepresenting facts in the application process to adjust status.

The judge noted that Khalil’s case involved deliberate omissions and highlighted that the Secretary of State deemed his presence in the United States to have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences. The decision also cited other factors, including the fact that Khalil has no property or business in the United States and has never held a job, though these were outweighed by the intentional omissions and by the potential foreign policy fallout.

Khalil was arrested in March, ordered to be released in June, and now faces a renewed deportation order. He is described as a Palestinian national who previously emigrated from the region in 2022, and the ruling specifies that he could be removed to Algeria or Syria, the places he has ties to by origin. Khalil has been a visible figure in the protests at Columbia University and Barnard College during 2023 and 2024, when he served as an organizer during episodes that drew national attention.

Khalil is married to Dr. Noor Abdalla, and the couple welcomed their first child in April while he was in federal custody. The court’s ruling acknowledged the personal considerations of family life but said they did not offset the gravity of the omissions in his immigration record.

The order to remove is not final, as Khalil’s lawyers have 30 days to file an appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. They also noted that stays of removal are rarely granted for noncitizens pursuing petitions for review of Board of Immigration Appeals decisions, a point that could shape the timing of the next steps in the case.

Earlier in the litigation, Khalil’s lawyers sought relief from U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in New Jersey, who previously ruled that the Trump administration could not deport the former Ivy League graduate. That prior ruling is cited in court filings as background to the ongoing dispute over the proper handling of Khalil’s status.

The broader context involves the use of Form I-485, the process to adjust status to lawful permanent resident, and how disclosures of political activity and association on such forms can affect eligibility. Government officials have previously raised concerns about the potential foreign-policy consequences of Khalil’s presence in the United States, a factor the judge considered among others in evaluating the waiver request and the legitimacy of the omissions.

In addition to the procedural aspects, observers note that Khalil’s case intersects with debates over activism, higher-education protests, and immigration enforcement, illustrating how politically charged actions abroad can surface in immigration adjudications. The decision, while specific to Khalil, underscores the scrutiny applied to applicants who have engaged with organizations or movements that might be seen as controversial or sensitive in the current policy climate.

The proceedings also reflect the timeline of events that began with Khalil’s March arrest and culminated in the September ruling, a sequence that has kept his legal status in flux and drawn attention from supporters and critics alike.