Mahmoud Khalil to Be Deported to Syria or Algeria, Judge Decides

A Louisiana immigration judge has officially ordered Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to be deported from the United States, rejecting his asylum claims and accusing him of willful deception, fraud, and abusing America’s immigration system while stoking antisemitic agitation on U.S. soil.

Judge Jamee Comans denied requests from Khalil’s legal team for more time and ruled that he can be deported to either Syria or Algeria, depending on which country agrees to accept him. The ruling comes despite a temporary federal injunction from a New Jersey court, where Khalil’s lawyers are arguing his deportation is “retaliation” for his pro-Palestinian advocacy. But the judge made clear this has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the law.

Khalil first came under scrutiny for his leadership in pro-Hamas demonstrations at Columbia University, including organizing an illegal encampment that denied access to Jewish students and working as a lead negotiator on behalf of the radical group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD). Following the October 7 Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians, Khalil led disruptive protests promoting the terrorist group on American soil.

His conduct sparked national outrage and drew a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who warned that Khalil’s continued presence in the U.S. posed serious foreign policy consequences a finding the judge cited in her decision.

But it wasn't just Khalil’s activism that doomed his case. The court documented multiple acts of fraud and deception in Khalil’s immigration process:

• He failed to disclose affiliations with UNRWA and CUAD on his Form I-485 (used to apply for permanent residency).

• He knowingly concealed these ties due to fears they would jeopardize his visa.

• He admitted in interviews that he avoided protesting at certain times to protect his immigration status.

• The court found his actions were deliberate and calculated, not accidental or the result of confusion.

“This Court finds that the Respondent willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process,” Judge Comans wrote.

“To grant a discretionary waiver would improperly reward a lack of candor... and encourage future applicants to take the gamble of materially misrepresenting facts.”

Khalil lied to get into the country, used his student status to push pro-terrorist propaganda, and is now playing the victim as he faces consequences.

Despite Democrats’ claims that Khalil is being targeted for his political speech, the court's ruling was grounded in hard facts and legal precedent not ideology. The judge also slammed the idea that asylum could be used as a shield for someone actively engaging in deception and advocacy on behalf of foreign-linked extremist groups.

This case exposes a deeper problem: radical activists exploiting our immigration system, embedding themselves in elite institutions like Columbia University, and using protected status to attack the very country that granted them entry.

Now, after years of failing to vet individuals like Khalil, the system is finally pushing back.

And while the radical left may cry foul, average Americans understand the difference between free speech and staging anti-American protests on a visa you lied to get.

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