An immigration appeals board has issued a final order of removal for Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder from Syria who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March 2025 after helping lead anti-Israel protests at Columbia University.
The Board of Immigration Appeals issued the order Thursday, according to Khalil's legal team. The case stems from protests at Columbia University where Khalil served as a negotiator for student protesters demanding the university divest from companies linked to Israel.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Khalil's presence would compromise U.S. foreign policy interests. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that Khalil's activities were aligned to Hamas, a designation the U.S. government has designated as a terrorist organization.
Khalil's attorneys said he is still pursuing a separate case in federal court and cannot yet be detained or deported. A federal judge in New Jersey ordered Khalil's release from ICE detention in June 2025.
What the Left Is Saying
Khalil and his supporters have characterized the deportation effort as politically motivated retaliation for exercising First Amendment rights. Khalil called the board's ruling biased and politically motivated.
In a statement, Khalil said: 'I have committed no crime. I have broken no law. 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.'
His lead attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, accused the Trump administration of exerting undue influence over immigration courts. 'In all my decades as an immigration lawyer, I have never seen such a baseless and politically motivated decision,' Van der Hout said. 'The BIA's decision has absolutely no support in the record, violates a federal court order.'
Van der Hout added: 'Federal courts have already agreed that Mahmoud was targeted for his speech, and there is likely much more evidence of the government's unlawful retaliation that has yet to come to light. This is a clear continuation of the administration's retaliation against Mahmoud for exercising his First Amendment rights.'
What the Right Is Saying
The Trump administration has defended its actions as necessary for national security and foreign policy interests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Khalil's presence or activities would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.
Rubio has pledged to strip the immigration status of foreigners deemed to be Hamas supporters. 'We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported,' Rubio said on X.
Former ICE Deputy Field Office Director Scott Mechkowski weighed in on the case, writing on X that Khalil's situation demonstrates how the immigration system is broken. 'This guy should have been removed years ago, but attorneys just keep trying to game the system,' Mechkowski wrote. 'Time to deport him already!'
The administration has maintained that Khalil's activities at Columbia University protests were aligned with Hamas, though no criminal charges have been filed against him.
What the Numbers Show
Khalil is a lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a green card holder, which grants him significantly more legal protections than non-citizens without permanent status.
The Board of Immigration Appeals is an administrative body within the Department of Justice that reviews appeals from immigration court decisions.
Khalil was arrested in March 2025 and held in ICE detention until a federal judge in New Jersey ordered his release in June 2025.
No criminal charges have been filed against Khalil related to the protest activities or allegations of Hamas ties.
The Department of State has not disclosed how many green cards or visas have been revoked under the policy targeting alleged Hamas supporters.
The Bottom Line
The immigration appeals board's final order of removal moves Khalil closer to potential deportation, though his attorneys say he cannot yet be detained because a separate federal court case remains pending.
The case raises questions about the intersection of immigration enforcement and First Amendment protections. Khalil's legal team argues he was targeted for his speech, while the administration says his activities posed foreign policy concerns.
Khalil's attorneys have vowed to continue fighting the removal order, suggesting they will seek emergency relief from federal courts. The outcome could establish precedent for how the administration handles similar cases involving green card holders engaged in political speech.
What to watch: Whether federal courts intervene to block the deportation while Khalil's separate case proceeds, and whether similar enforcement actions are taken against other non-citizens accused of supporting causes the administration links to foreign terrorist organizations.