A federal immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil deported after ruling that he concealed politically sensitive affiliations on his U.S. green card application.
Judge Jamee Comans issued the decision Sept. 12 in Louisiana, finding that Khalil failed to disclose his internship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and his ties to Columbia University Apartheid Divest, an anti-Israel campus coalition.
Court filings unsealed Wednesday show Comans cited Khalil’s activism as central to her ruling. She denied his motion for relief, writing that the omissions were deliberate and warranted removal. Federal authorities argued the omissions raised “national security and foreign policy concerns.”
Khalil, a legal permanent resident, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March at his Manhattan apartment and detained for more than three months in Louisiana. He was released in June after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled he was not a flight risk or danger to the public but temporarily blocked removal while reviewing Khalil’s claims of political retaliation.
Khalil and his legal team framed the case as a civil rights battle. “It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech,” Khalil said. “Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again.”
The ruling comes as concerns grow over foreign activists exploiting the U.S. immigration system while maintaining ties to radical organizations. As Comans emphasized, deliberate omissions on green card applications carry serious consequences—especially when linked to groups hostile to America’s allies.
