Immigration Judge Orders Deportation of Hamas Sympathizer

An immigration judge has ruled on the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a sympathizer of Hamas who faced deportation from the United States. Khalil was accused of not fully disclosing information on his green card application, which raised suspicions about his intentions.

Judge Jamie Commans ordered Khalil to be deported, potentially to Algeria or Syria, based on the assertion that he had “willfully misrepresented” details in his application to evade scrutiny during the immigration process. This ruling has significant implications, especially considering Khalil’s role as a figure in leftist opposition to the Trump administration’s efforts against perceived anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses.

“The court found that the respondent deliberately misrepresented key facts to avoid the immigration process and minimize the risk of having his application denied,” Commans stated.

He added, “This court cannot and will not allow such cases by granting any discretionary exemption.”

Khalil, originally from Syria and a citizen of Algeria, had entered the U.S. on a student visa in December 2022 and later changed his status to a legal permanent resident.

His arrest by immigration officials in March made him a prominent figure amid the anti-Israel protests that occurred on the Columbia University campus in 2024. The Department of Homeland Security cited the Trump administration’s stance that these protests were linked to Hamas.

Federal accusations against Khalil included claims that he had not accurately completed his U.S. visa application. Specifically, he did not disclose his previous position as a political director for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This agency has faced criticism for its connections to Hamas, with reports indicating it employed individuals involved in the October 7 attacks against Israel.

The prosecutors also highlighted Khalil’s omission of his past work as a program manager for the Syrian embassy in Beirut and his affiliation with an anti-Israel student organization at Columbia University.

After several months in a Louisiana immigration detention center, Khalil was released in June following a federal judge’s order, receiving a warm welcome from anti-Israel activists and certain Democratic lawmakers. In a July CNN interview, when asked to denounce Hamas, Khalil refused, arguing it was dishonest to assign blame while Palestinians were suffering from a lack of resources.

Furthermore, he filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for $20 million, claiming he had been wrongfully detained and labeled maliciously as an anti-Semite.

Facing the deportation order, Khalil plans to appeal. In a statement, he said, “It’s no surprise that the Trump administration retaliates against me for exercising my free speech. This latest action will again expose their true motives through this biased immigration court process. Their oppressive tactics won’t deter me from defending my people’s rights.”