There was uproar over the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil who supported Palestine, now the US court has given the decision to deport him

Recently, there was a lot of uproar in America over the arrest of activist Mahmoud Khalil. Hundreds of protesters were seen protesting against the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil at Trump Tower in New York. After this, a decision is now being taken on whether Khalil will be deported from the country or not. Khalil is currently in jail after his arrest on 8 March 2025.

A US immigration judge ruled on Friday that Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil can be deported. In fact, Mahmoud Khalil is a Columbia University student who was arrested by President Donald Trump’s administration in New York City a month ago.

The court gave the verdict

The decision to deport Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was given by Judge Jamie Commons of the LaSalle Immigration Court in Louisiana. Although Khalil will not be deported based on this decision, it was not the final decision, but it represents a significant victory for the Republican President in his efforts to deport foreign pro-Palestinian students.

Foreign Minister wrote a letter

Citing the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined last month that Khalil could harm US foreign policy interests and should be deported for his “otherwise lawful” speech and activism.

Rubio wrote, Khalil should be removed from the US for his role in anti-Semitic demonstrations and disruptive activities, promoting a hostile environment for Jewish students in America.

However, Rubio’s letter did not accuse Khalil of breaking any law, but said that the State Department can revoke the legal status of immigrants who may harm US foreign policy interests, even if their beliefs, associations or statements are “otherwise lawful”.

The hearing lasted 90 minutes

The judge rejected Khalil’s lawyers’ motion to summon Secretary of State Marco Rubio and question him about the “reasonable basis” he had for his determination under the 1952 law. The judge’s decision came after a 90-minute hearing.

Who is Mohammad Khalil?

Khalil is a prominent figure in the pro-Palestine student protest movement. Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and holds Algerian citizenship and became a legal permanent resident of the US last year. Khalil’s wife is an American citizen. Khalil has been vocal in Columbia regarding the ceasefire in Gaza. Along with the CUAD group, he also demanded to break economic ties with Israel.

At present, Khalil is in a Louisiana jail, where federal authorities transferred him after his arrest in a Columbia University apartment about 1,200 miles (1,930 km) away on March 8.

Judge Commons has given Khalil’s lawyers until April 23 to apply for relief before considering whether to issue a deportation order. In a separate case in New Jersey, US District Judge Michael Farbiarz has halted Khalil’s deportation while the judge considers Khalil’s claim that his arrest was in violation of freedom of speech protections under the US Constitution’s First Amendment.

What did Khalil say in court?

As Commons adjourned, Khalil leaned forward and asked to address the court. Commons hesitated, then agreed. Khalil cited her comments at his hearing on Tuesday, saying nothing is more important to the court than “due process rights and fundamental fairness.”

“Clearly, from what we saw today, none of those principles were present today or throughout this entire process. That’s why the Trump administration sent me to this court, a thousand miles away from my family,” Khalil said.

Khalil’s lawyers, appearing via video link, complained that they were given less than 48 hours to review Rubio’s letter and evidence the Trump administration submitted to the Commons this week.