The US government has accused former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil of being the latest development with impact on the state's freedom of speech, in order to appoint multiple organizations' jobs in his application.
The Justice Department's lawyer has cast new accusations against Halil, including failing to disclose his application as a permanent resident who worked for the United Nations Relief Occupational Agency (UNWRA) for Palestinian refugees, and was a member of the Columbia University Apartment Department Group, employing employment with the Syrian embassy of the British Embassy in Beirut in 2022.
Halil is a legal immigrant, and the Trump administration is binding him under rarely used laws that allow the Secretary of State to declare someone to the risk of US interests.
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have revealed that Halil, who is married to a US citizen, is aiming to take part in the protests of Palestinian protests and is raising First Amendment concerns.
Only the judge can order green card holders to be deported, and the government is now trying to prove that Khalil has intentionally withheld information, including UNWRA work on his application.
Halil's lawsuit was recently moved to New Jersey, where he was first arrested for immigration and customs enforcement before being transferred to a Louisiana facility. His lawyers are fighting for his release. His wife is scheduled to give birth next month.
“The new deportation venue is a patently weak and excuse,” said Ramtzi Kasem, a lawyer for Khalil. Statement to the New York Times. “The government's scrambling to add to the 11th hour underscores the motive from the start was to retaliate against Khalil for his protected speech in support of Palestinian rights and livelihoods.”
Oka reached out to the Halil team for comments.
The Halil incident was the first of the Trump administration's crusades against foreign students, declaring those who participated in the pro-Palestinian protest as “pro-hama” and revoking student visas for other individuals.
