The push for to deport Mahmoud Khalil is back on track after the Department of Homeland Security confirmed plans to re-arrest the Columbia University encampment leader and deport him to Algeria. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the move follows a key appellate court ruling clearing the way for renewed detention.
Asked by NewsNation host Katie Pavlich whether or not there are plans for DHS to move forward, McLaughlin replied, “There are. And it looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now.” She added a broader warning: “You are a guest in this country. Act like it. It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study.”
The announcement comes days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit overturned a lower court order that had freed Khalil from detention, ruling immigration courts must handle the case. The decision strengthens the Trump administration’s legal footing as it targets foreign nationals accused of promoting extremist causes.
Khalil rose to prominence after Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack as a leader of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest movement and a negotiator during the school’s illegal 2024 encampments. He told the Hill he would continue pushing Columbia to divest from Israel by “any available means necessary.” Video later placed him at a Barnard College protest where agitators circulated Hamas propaganda.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked Khalil’s green card, arguing his presence risked “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” that would “compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” An immigration judge later ordered his deportation after finding he “willfully misrepresented” his activism on immigration forms.
Since his release, Khalil has remained defiant. In a CNN interview, when asked to condemn Hamas, he said, “I condemn the killing of all civilians,” adding, “I hate this selective outrage of condemnation.” As deportation proceedings for Khalil resume, DHS signals a tougher line on visa holders tied to extremist activism.
