An immigration judge in Louisiana has ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian protest leader, to Algeria or Syria, ruling that he misrepresented facts on his green card application. The order, dated 12 September, was made public in court documents on Wednesday.
Khalil's lawyers said they intend to appeal and noted that a federal district court's orders remain in effect, preventing the government from immediately deporting or detaining him while his separate federal case proceeds. They submitted a letter to the federal court in New Jersey overseeing his civil rights case.
Khalil, a legal permanent resident married to a US citizen with a US-born child, was detained for three months from March, missing the birth of his son. He was released in June but faces continued threat of deportation. The Trump administration has cracked down on pro-Palestinian protesters, labelling them antisemitic.
Protest groups, including some Jewish organisations, argue that criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and advocacy for Palestinians is not antisemitism or support for extremism.
