Ivy League, pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil likely to be deported to Algeria: DHS

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that Syrian-born activist Mahmoud Khalil will be retaken into custody and deported to Algeria.Regarding Khalil, McLaughlin told NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight” on Wednesday, “It looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now.”
“It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card. You are a guest in this country — act like it,” she added. “It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study.”
The Trump administration has sought to deport Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, over pro-Palestinian protests that he helped organize in New York.
Khalil, who is of Palestinian heritage and a green card holder, has challenged the administration’s efforts to deport him, with his attorneys saying it would violate the Constitution. Last week, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision that released Khalil from an immigration jail, bringing the government closer to detaining and ultimately deporting Khalil.
A member of Khalil’s legal team didn’t immediately respond to NewsNation’s request for comment.
Khalil was first arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March, as the administration cracked down on pro-Palestinian activists during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
According to the administration, Khalil supports Hamas, and lied on documents as he applied for permanent U.S. residency.
Khalil denied that he supports violence at a rally in June.
“Who is Mahmoud Khalil? … Mahmoud Khalil is a human rights defender. Mahmoud Khalil is a freedom fighter. Mahmoud Khalil is a refugee. Mahmoud Khalil is a father and husband, and above all, Mahmoud Khalil is Palestinian,” he said.
Khalil filed a $20 million claim against the administration for alleged false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

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