Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian student who led anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, vowed to take his battle against deportation to the Supreme Court after losing yet another round in the lower courts.
Mr. Khalil’s lawyers also said they will ask the courts to block ICE from arresting him, allowing him to remain free while he makes his appeals to avoid ouster.
The moves came after a federal appeals court declined to revisit a ruling earlier this year that said a lower court was wrong to step in and halt Mr. Khalil’s deportation. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the courts shouldn’t have intervened in the deportation case at that point.
“Today’s decision is not the final word,” said Brett Max Kaufman, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union, which has been representing Mr. Khalil.
“Federal courts must have the power to step in when the government exploits our country’s immigration system to punish people for their constitutionally protected speech,” Mr. Kaufman said. “If the Trump administration can target, arrest, detain and deport Mahmoud for his speech, they can do it to anyone expressing an opinion they disagree with.”
Mr. Khalil, born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and a citizen of Algeria, came to the U.S. on a student visa to study at Columbia University.
He married a U.S. citizen in 2023 and obtained lawful permanent residency.
He was at the school in the aftermath of Hamas’ murderous October 2023 sneak attack on Israel and Israel’s vengeful response. He was a leader in student protests against Israel and what they saw as their school’s refusal to more forcefully condemn the Jewish nation.
The Trump administration says Mr. Khalil committed fraud in his permanent residency application by not disclosing a past history with pro-Palestinian groups.
An immigration judge has ruled that Mr. Khalil is deportable based on that reason.
Mr. Khalil’s son was born in the U.S. last year, while Mr. Khalil was in immigration custody.
His is the most prominent in a series of cases where the administration has sought to oust noncitizens who took part in pro-Palestinian activities after the 2023 Hamas attack.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.