Immigration Judge Orders Deportation Of Columbia Pro-Palestinian Activist; Federal Stay Blocks ICE Removal

A Louisiana immigration judge ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University activist, deported for alleged omissions on his green card application, naming Syria or Algeria as potential destinations. A separate federal district court order currently prevents his removal while constitutional claims alleging retaliatory enforcement proceed, and his legal team plans to appeal to the BIA and potentially the Fifth Circuit. Civil liberties groups warn the case could chill speech among international students as the administration links campus activism to national security.