Judge orders Mahmoud Khalil deported to Algeria or Syria
An immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and former Columbia graduate student originally from Syria, to be deported to Algeria or Syria. The judge, Jamee Comans, accused Khalil of willfully misrepresenting material facts on his green card submission to circumvent the immigration process. Khalil was previously detained by immigration authorities in March and released in June following public attention to his case. Khalil and his supporters claim the deportation order is retaliation for his exercise of free speech and activism on behalf of Palestine. He plans to appeal the decision within 30 days.
Judge orders Mahmoud Khalil deported to Algeria or Syria
An immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil to be deported to Algeria or Syria, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
Immigration Judge Jamee Comans accused the pro-Palestinian activist of omitting information from his green card application.
She said the court found a “lack of candor on his I-485 form was not an oversight by an uninformed, uneducated applicant.”
“Rather, this Court finds that Respondent willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his applications could be denied. This Court cannot and will not condone such an action by granting a discretionary waiver,” Comans said.
Comans, based in Louisiana, denied Khalil’s motion for a waiver preventing his removal from the country.
The former Columbia graduate student was born in Syria but fled during the country’s revolution in 2013. He was detained by immigration enforcement in March but released in June after a long and publicized detention.
He said the administration is retaliating against him for his use of free speech.
“It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech. Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again,” Khalil said in a statement.
“When their first effort to deport me was set to fail, they resorted to fabricating baseless and ridiculous allegations in a bid to silence me for speaking out and standing firmly with Palestine, demanding an end to the ongoing genocide,” he continued. “Such fascist tactics will never deter me from continuing to advocate for my people’s liberation.”
His attorneys said they have 30 days to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
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