Why the US is Targeting Green Card Holder Mahmoud Khalil: 5 Key Questions

A judge in the United States has ordered the government to stop the Trump administration from deporting Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia University. He was detained on Saturday night while actively participating in protests against Israel at his university. The court will hear his case on Wednesday, and until then, Khalil has been moved to a federal jail for migrants in Louisiana, according to his lawyers and a database of US detainees.

The court document states, “To preserve the Court’s jurisdiction pending a ruling on the petition, Petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court orders otherwise.”

Khalil, a key figure in Columbia’s protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, was taken into custody by federal immigration officials who claimed they were following a directive from the State Department to cancel his green card. Since 2023, Trump has threatened to revoke the visas of international students who engage in pro-Palestinian protests and speak out against Israel’s actions.

The reason for Khalil’s arrest has not been disclosed by the Trump administration. However, according to two sources, Secretary of State Marco Rubio used his authority under an old immigration law that allows the government to deport foreign nationals if their activities could harm US foreign policy.

The law states that anyone whose presence in the US “the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.”

Who is Mahmoud Khalil?
Khalil was born in Syria and finished his undergraduate studies in Beirut before moving to Columbia, where he earned his graduate degree from the School of International and Public Affairs in December. He has been crucial in organising protests against Israel, including building occupations and encampments that have had an impact on the university for over a year.

He acted as a student negotiator when discussions took place with university officials concerning the dismantling of the encampment that appeared on campus last spring, as reported by the New York Post.

His LinkedIn profile shows he briefly worked as a political affairs officer at UNRWA, a UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees. This agency lost significant funding when it was revealed that some members may have been involved in a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in many deaths.

His active role in the protests prompted pro-Israel advocates to ask the Trump administration to begin his deportation. Records shared with the AP show that Khalil is among those being investigated by a new Columbia University department that has started disciplinary actions against several students involved in pro-Palestinian activism.

His lawyer, Amy Greer, confirms that Khalil is a permanent resident with a green card. As a key negotiator for the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) group, he has engaged with university administrators multiple times, especially during the Gaza solidarity encampment when numerous tents occupied the university’s lawn.

Although he was suspended from Columbia last April due to his participation in protests, the suspension was lifted the next day because there wasn’t enough evidence, as Khalil told a BBC reporter.

He has often appeared on news programmes discussing his group’s activities, including an interview in Arabic with Quds News Network. Since April, he has participated in campus demonstrations, using bullhorns, joining dance circles, and marching while wearing a keffiyeh headscarf.

Sources reveal that Khalil is married, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him while his wife, who is eight months pregnant, was in their flat.

Can a Green Card be revoked?

A lawful permanent resident in the United States holds a green card, which gives them legal residency status. Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, a professor at Cornell Law School who specialises in immigration law, explains that lawful permanent residents have significant protections and “should be the most protected short of a US citizen.”

However, these protections have limits. Permanent residents could potentially face deportation for specific reasons, including criminal activities, failing to report changes to their address, or being involved in fake marriages.

Khalil and his fellow students have denied accusations of antisemitism, arguing that they are part of a broader peace movement that includes Jewish participants and organisations. However, the protest group has occasionally shown support for Hamas and Hezbollah, which are both labelled as terrorist groups by the US.

According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, green card holders do not need to be convicted of a crime to be deported. They could be removed if the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General believe they may have engaged, or are likely to engage, in terrorist activities, Kelley-Widmer noted.

What is needed to deport Khalil?
In deportation proceedings, authorities must prove that the individual has violated US immigration laws. This usually involves criminal activities or serious legal violations.

For Khalil, authorities must show that his actions go beyond protected free speech and that his behaviour poses a real threat to national security. His defence team argues there is no valid reason to revoke his permanent residency or keep him in detention.

“The government would need to prove that he’s done something beyond just speaking out, like offering material support to Hamas,” stated Stephen Yale-Loehr, a retired immigration law professor at Cornell Law School, in an interview with Time Magazine. “That would be enough for deportation.”

Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, explained on Fox Business that federal authorities can indeed deport someone even if they are in the country legally, saying, “Did he violate the terms of his visa? Did he violate the terms of his residency, committing crimes, attacking Israeli students, locking down buildings, destroying property? Absolutely, any resident alien who commits a crime is eligible for deportation,” Homan added.

What are the next steps in Khalil’s case?
Immigration lawyer John Gihon explained that Khalil will receive paperwork explaining why he has been detained and the reasons for possible deportation, along with a notice for immigration court. According to standard procedures, these documents should arrive within 72 hours following his arrest, followed by an initial court appearance that generally happens within ten days to a month.

However, Gihon mentioned that there can be significant delays in the immigration court system, causing detainees to be moved around to different facilities. “We are having people who are detained and then they’re bounced around to multiple different detention facilities. And then sometimes they’re transferred across the country,” he explained.

In relation to Khalil’s situation, his legal team has begun legal proceedings to challenge his detention. A federal judge in New York City has issued a stay on deportation while reviewing the case. A court session is set for Wednesday.

What did Columbia University say?
Columbia University released a statement clarifying that it does not cooperate with ICE unless legally required to do so. The university said, “Consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public university areas, including university buildings.” Columbia reaffirmed its commitment to supporting its students while abiding by legal obligations.

By Sunday evening, an online petition on Action Network calling for Khalil’s release had collected over 349,000 signatures. According to Khalil’s lawyer, ICE representatives indicated that they were following a directive from the State Department to revoke Khalil’s student visa and green card following Trump’s recent announcement to remove international students considered responsible for campus disturbances.