A judge ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and legal US resident, can be deported. This decision follows his arrest last month for participation in a pro-Palestinian protest.
Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jamee Comans issued the ruling, granting Khalil's attorneys until April 23rd to appeal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued for Khalil's deportation, citing involvement in "anti-Semitic protests." Khalil's attorneys contend the deportation is a violation of his right to free speech and due process.
Comans' ruling allows the Trump administration to proceed with deportation to either Syria (Khalil's birthplace) or Algeria (where he holds citizenship). The ruling was made at a Louisiana detention center where Khalil is being held. The judge stated she lacked the authority to question Rubio's decision.
Khalil's attorneys plan to appeal, arguing that he was subject to a “charade of due process” and that immigration laws were weaponized to suppress dissent. A separate federal case in New Jersey will examine the legality of Khalil's arrest and detention, where his free speech and due process claims will be argued. A judge in that case has already stated Khalil should remain in the US.
The Trump administration's actions are not isolated, with Rubio indicating 300 student visas were revoked. Several state attorneys general are challenging these revocations as “unjustified and unconstitutional.” The deportation decision stems from the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952, allowing deportation if an immigrant's presence could have serious foreign policy consequences.