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Former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil is set to be deported to Algeria following a decision by a federal appeals panel. The Department of Homeland Security has accused Khalil of lying on his permanent residency application and supporting Hamas, allegations Khalil denies. He describes himself as a human rights defender advocating for Palestinian causes.
Last week, a federal appeals panel reversed a lower court's decision to release Khalil from immigration detention. The three-judge panel from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that the federal district court in New Jersey lacked jurisdiction over Khalil's case. The panel stated that deportation challenges must be addressed through a petition for review of a final removal order with a federal appeals court, not through a habeas petition.
Khalil, who was arrested in March 2025, spent three months in a Louisiana immigration jail, missing the birth of his first child. The Trump administration has justified his arrest under a statute allowing the expulsion of noncitizens whose beliefs are seen as a threat to U.S. foreign policy. Khalil's legal team plans to continue appealing the decision.
The appeals court ruling aligns with the Trump administration's efforts to deport noncitizens involved in protests against Israel. Khalil's attorneys argue that he would face danger if deported to Algeria or Syria, where he was born in a refugee camp. The case remains ongoing as an immigration court appeals board reviews a previous order allowing Khalil's deportation.
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