Immigration Board Denies Palestinian Activist's Deportation Dismissal

A federal immigration appeals board has denied Mahmoud Khalil's request to dismiss his deportation proceedings, advancing the case of the 31-year-old Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student toward potential rearrest and removal from the United States.

The Board of Immigration Appeals issued the final order of removal on Thursday, according to Khalil's legal team. The decision, which aligns with expectations from immigration experts, requires Khalil to exhaust his options within the immigration court system before further challenging the outcome in federal court. His attorneys maintain that he cannot be lawfully detained or deported while a parallel federal case remains active.

Khalil, a legal permanent resident born in Syria to a Palestinian family and holding Algerian citizenship, emerged as a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in New York. Federal authorities arrested him last March as part of a broader initiative targeting noncitizens who have publicly criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza. Officials have alleged that his leadership in those demonstrations aligned with Hamas, a designated terrorist...