Board of Immigration Appeals Orders Deportation of Activist Mahmoud Khalil

The Board of Immigration Appeals issued a final order of removal on April 9, 2026, for Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student. The board rejected Khalil's bid to dismiss his deportation case, ruling that the legal permanent resident omitted key information on his green card application regarding his employment with the British embassy in Syria and a U.N. agency.

The Trump administration, supported by the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, further alleged that Khalil's leadership in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University was aligned with Hamas. Khalil, a citizen of Algeria born in a Syrian refugee camp, denied any criminal activity or ties to terrorism. He characterized the ruling as "biased and politically motivated," claiming the administration has weaponized the immigration system to punish him for speaking out against genocide in Palestine.

Khalil previously spent 104 days in immigration jail before a New Jersey federal judge ordered his release, though a U.S. appeals panel later challenged that decision. Despite the final order, Khalil's legal team argues he cannot be detained or deported while a separate federal habeas case remains active. His attorneys are currently seeking a full rehearing of the case from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, asserting the removal order violates First Amendment rights. If deported, the government may remove him to either Algeria or Syria.