An immigration judge in the US has ordered the deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to either Algeria or Syria, over claims he omitted information from a green card application.
Judge Jamee Comans, based in Louisiana, said Mr Khalil wilfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process.
In a statement to the American Civil Liberties Union, Mr Khalil said: It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech.
Mr Khalil, a permanent US resident of Palestinian descent, was a prominent figure during the 2024 Gaza war protests at Columbia University, where he studied.
Lawyers for Mr Khalil, 30, said they would appeal against the decision, and added that separate federal court orders remained in effect that prohibit the government from deporting or detaining him.
In March, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials detained Mr Khalil as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on universities it claims have failed to tackle antisemitism.
In March, the US government also accused Mr Khalil of leaving out details of his previous associations on immigration documentation, including membership of UNRWA and continuing employment at the British Embassy in Beirut.
On 20 June, a federal judge ruled that he must be released after a three-month detention.
While detained, Mr Khalil's wife, a US citizen, gave birth to their son.
Mr Khalil's activism has drawn accusations from pro-Israel groups, claiming he leads the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (Cuad) movement, which seeks to sever university ties with Israel. Khalil has denied these accusations, describing his role as that of a spokesperson and mediator.
