Judge Says US Can Deport Pro-Palestinian Student Protester Mahmoud Khalil

An immigration judge ruled on April 11 that a pro-Palestinian student protester, a US permanent resident detained by the Trump administration, can be deported, his lawyer said.

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JENA, United States —

Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jamee Comans said the government had met its burden to prove it had grounds to deport Mr. Mahmoud Khalil, according to a statement by Mr. Khalil's attorney.

“Today, we saw our worst fears play out: Mahmoud was subject to a charade of due process, a flagrant violation of his right to a fair hearing, and a weaponization of immigration law to suppress dissent. This is not over, and our fight continues,” lawyer Marc van der Hout said in the statement.

Mr. Khalil is not yet scheduled for deportation, and the judge gave his attorneys until April 23 to seek a waiver, the statement added.

The Columbia University student, a prominent face of the protest movement that erupted in response to Israel’s war in Gaza, who is married to a US citizen, was arrested and taken to Louisiana earlier in April, sparking protests.