US judge orders Khalil deportation to Algeria or Syria; lawyers to appeal ruling
A US immigration judge has ordered that pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil be deported to Algeria or Syria over claims that he omitted information from his green card application, Reuters reports, citing court documents.
Khalil, a 30-year-old permanent US resident of Palestinian descent and a Columbia University student, was detained by US immigration authorities for more than 100 days earlier this year as the Trump administration sought to deport him.
Khalil’s lawyers said they intend to appeal the deportation order while saying a federal district court’s separate orders remain in effect that prohibit the government from immediately deporting or detaining him as his federal court case proceeds.
Immigration judge Jamee Comans said Khalil “willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his application would be denied”.
Khalil’s lawyers submitted a letter to a federal court in New Jersey overseeing his civil rights case and said he will challenge Comans’ decision. He was released on June 20.
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