Gizem Nisa Demir
10 April 2026•Update: 10 April 2026
A US immigration appeals board has denied the latest bid by Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student at New York’s Columbia University, to dismiss his deportation case, according to a report.
Public outlet NPR reported on Thursday that the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a final order of removal, a decision his lawyers said brings him closer to possible re-arrest and expulsion.
The rulings are not made public, and the US Justice Department did not immediately respond to inquiries.
Khalil, a 31-year-old lawful permanent resident of the US, called the ruling “biased and politically motivated.”
“The only thing I am guilty of is speaking out against the genocide in Palestine – and this administration has weaponized the immigration system to punish me for it,” he said in a statement.
He has been a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University and was previously detained for over 100 days in immigration custody after his arrest last March.
Authorities have alleged his activism was “aligned to Hamas,” a claim his lawyers say is unsupported by evidence, and he has denied accusations of antisemitism.
In the US, Palestinian group Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization.
His legal team is also challenging earlier rulings in federal court, after a US appeals panel found the case must proceed through immigration courts before federal review.
His attorneys continue to argue that he cannot be lawfully detained or deported while parallel proceedings remain active.
Advocates for Palestine say that under the migrant crackdown since President Donald Trump’s second term began in 2025, the Trump administration has used false charges of “antisemitism” and political bias to target peaceful activists and aggressively push for their deportation, in violation of their right to free speech.
