US to Deport Anti-Israel Activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has confirmed plans to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born anti-Israel activist and former Columbia University student, following a federal court ruling that upheld his detention over visa fraud and undisclosed foreign affiliations.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs, announced the decision in a recent interview, stating that Khalil will likely be deported to Algeria, where he holds citizenship through maternal family ties.

Khalil, who held a U.S. green card as a permanent resident, became a prominent figure in anti-Israel protest circles after organizing several high-profile encampments at Columbia’s Manhattan campus. These demonstrations, many of which turned violent, included rhetoric glorifying Hamas and calling for the destruction of Israel. Though Khalil has claimed to be a nonviolent spokesperson, the protests he helped lead have drawn widespread condemnation from Jewish organizations and civil rights advocates.

While initial deportation attempts centered on national security grounds, the Trump administration successfully argued that Khalil committed immigration fraud. Specifically, federal authorities said he lied on his visa application by failing to disclose prior employment with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), an organization with long-documented ties to Hamas and other terrorist entities.

Khalil also concealed a prior position with the British embassy in Syria further grounds for immigration disqualification, according to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On January 15, a panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled 2–1 to uphold Khalil’s detention, dismissing his legal efforts to block deportation and vacating a lower court’s order for his release. That ruling clears the path for ICE to proceed with his removal in the coming days or weeks.

“It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card you are a guest in this country,” said McLaughlin. “It is a privilege, not a right, to be here to live or to study.”

Khalil’s legal team has denounced the deportation as politically motivated. In July 2025, he filed a $20 million lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging wrongful detention and retaliation for his pro-Palestinian activism.

But to many observers, Khalil’s case underscores a broader issue: the growing concern over radicalized foreign nationals inciting hate and instability on American campuses. His activism, intertwined with overt support for groups like Hamas, triggered alarm not only among Jewish students but across the political spectrum.

Israel and its supporters have long warned about anti-Israel rhetoric crossing into open antisemitism particularly when it comes from foreign actors embedded within Western institutions. Khalil’s case, steeped in legal deceit and ideological extremism, has become a flashpoint in that debate.

As deportation proceedings near conclusion, the message from U.S. authorities is clear: the abuse of American hospitality, especially in service of hate, will not be tolerated.

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