An immigration judge ordered that Mahmoud Khalil, a central figure in the pro-Hamas student protests at Columbia University last spring, be deported to either Syria or Algeria for failing to disclose certain information on his green card application.
“This Court further finds that the Respondent understood the consequences and that the candid disclosure of his affiliations might lead to an additional line of questioning and the ultimate denial of his application for conditional permanent residency," wrote Immigration Judge Jamee Comans in the order. "This Court finds that Respondent’s lack of candor on his I-485 was not an oversight by an uninformed, uneducated applicant. This Court finds that the Respondent’s purposeful, non-disclosure was not a misrepresentation by another which imputed consequences to the Respondent."
Comans, who is based out of Jena, Louisiana, argued Khalil "willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his application would be denied."
“This Court cannot and will not condone such an action by granting a discretionary waiver," Comans added. "To do so, would encourage future applicants to take the gamble of materially misrepresenting facts and then seeking a waiver if it is somehow discovered by the U.S. government.“
Khalil, a native of Syria and citizen of Algeria, entered the United States on a student visa in December 2022, and his status was adjusted to lawful permanent resident last November.
The Trump administration has accused Khalil, a green card holder, of withholding information about his membership in certain organizations, including that he was a political officer of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency of Palestine Refugees and that he was part of Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Furthermore, the Trump administration said he failed to disclose his previous employment at the Syria Office in the British Embassy in Beirut in his permanent residency application last year. (NBC News)
“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, according to NBC.
“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 have 30 days from the Sept. 12 ruling to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals.