Louisiana immigration judge Jamee Comans has ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, can be deported as a national security risk. Khalil was arrested as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on student protesters accused of supporting Hamas. The federal government was given until Wednesday to provide evidence for Khalil’s deportation, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio arguing in a memo that Khalil’s presence could have adverse foreign policy consequences for the U.S.
Khalil’s attorneys plan to seek a waiver to fight the deportation order. His arrest came after he served as a negotiator in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University following an attack by Hamas militants. Trump’s executive order to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses was cited as the reason for Khalil’s arrest as part of a broader effort to target foreign student activists. Other students, including Rumeysa Ozturk, have also been detained and deported.
The arrests have raised concerns among free speech advocates who believe the government is targeting individuals based on their political beliefs. Khalil, in a letter from the detention center, described himself as a political prisoner targeted for advocating for a free Palestine. The American Civil Liberties Union has criticized the government’s actions as a violation of First Amendment rights and an attempt to intimidate speech. Attorneys fear that allowing the government to target individuals based on their political beliefs could set a dangerous precedent for all individuals in the country.
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