• A US immigration judge orders the deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria.
• Khalil's lawyers plan to appeal the decision, citing concerns over due process violations.
• The case has raised significant free speech concerns amid claims of political retaliation.

An immigration judge in Louisiana has ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and legal permanent resident of the United States, to be deported to Algeria or Syria. The ruling issued by Judge Jamee Comans cited claims that Khalil omitted crucial information on his green card application, asserting that this constituted willful misrepresentation. Khalil has been vocal in his opposition to the Trump administration's policies, labeling the court system a "kangaroo immigration court" designed to silence dissenters like him, according to Reuters and TRT Global.

Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March for more than three months before being released in June. His legal team argues that the deportation order is part of a broader effort to retaliate against him for his political activism related to Palestinian rights. Khalil expressed that the legal actions against him serve to punish his advocacy for Palestine amidst ongoing geopolitical conflicts, as noted by CBS News and Al Jazeera.

India Times and BBC.

The Trump administration has been criticized for its handling of cases involving pro-Palestinian activists, with accusations that it conflates advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism. Khalil's legal representatives argue that the government's actions are indicative of a chilling effect on free speech, particularly in regard to dissent against U.S. foreign policy, as discussed in articles from Newsweek and Middle East Eye.

Khalil's attorneys have 30 days from the September 12 ruling to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, but they express doubt about the outcome given the historical tendency of courts to side with government determinations in similar cases, as highlighted by Dawn and Anadolu Agency.