A U.S. court ruled on Friday that authorities may proceed with the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian student at Columbia University, in what is considered a victory for the Trump administration.
Judge Jamie Comans of the LaSalle Immigration Court in the state of Louisiana stated that she does not have the authority to overturn a decision made last month by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, under the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act.
The ruling came a month after Khalil was arrested from a Columbia University dormitory and transferred to a prison in Louisiana.
Last month, Rubio ordered Khalil’s deportation based on the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, justifying it by claiming that his presence in the United States “could have negative consequences on the country’s foreign policy.”
Khalil is a prominent figure in the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that has shaken Columbia University’s campus in New York City, in opposition to Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
Khalil’s case represents the most prominent test of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport pro-Palestinian students who are legally residing in the United States and, like Khalil, have not been charged with any crimes.
Khalil, who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and holds Algerian citizenship, obtained lawful permanent residency in the United States last year.
His lawyers complained about the limited time they were given to review evidence submitted by the government on Wednesday, under the order of Judge Jamie Comans of the LaSalle Immigration Court in Louisiana.
In a two-page letter submitted to the court and to Khalil’s defense team — and seen by reporters — Rubio wrote that Khalil, 30, should be deported for his role in “anti-Semitic protests and disruptive activities that contribute to a hostile climate for Jewish students in the United States.”
Rubio did not accuse Khalil of violating any law in the message, but he said that it is within the right of the State Department to revoke the legal status of any immigrant, even if their beliefs, associations, and statements are “legal.”
Khalil’s lawyers stated that they will ask the judge in Friday’s session to allow them to call Rubio to testify.
A spokesperson for the State Department mentioned that the department does not comment on cases pending before the courts.