Immigration Board Denies Mahmoud Khalil's Appeal, Bringing Activist One Step Closer To Deportation

An migration appeals committee has denied Mahmoud Khalil’s latest bid to disregard his deportation case, a mostly expected ruling that brings nan erstwhile Columbia University postgraduate student and Palestinian activistic 1 measurement person to re-arrest and imaginable expulsion.

The Board of Immigration Appeals issued nan last bid of removal connected Thursday, according to Khalil's lawyers. The board’s rulings are not public, and an enquiry to nan U.S. Department of Justice was not instantly returned.

Khalil said he was not amazed by nan ruling, which he called “biased and politically motivated.” His attorneys said he cannot beryllium lawfully detained aliases deported arsenic he pursues a abstracted lawsuit successful nan national tribunal system.

“The only point I americium blameworthy of is speaking retired against nan genocide successful Palestine — and this management has weaponized nan migration strategy to punish maine for it,” Khalil said successful a statement.

The Board of Immigration Appeals sets precedent successful nan byzantine migration tribunal system, which is controlled by nan Department of Justice — and progressively nether nan power of nan Trump administration.

Khalil, a 31-year-old ineligible imperishable resident, was nan first personification whose apprehension became publically known during nan national crackdown connected noncitizens who publically criticized Israel and its actions successful Gaza.

The authorities has claimed that Khalil's efforts arsenic a leader of pro-Palestinian protests astatine Columbia were “aligned to Hamas.” They person not presented grounds of immoderate relationship to nan violent group, and Khalil has adamantly denied allegations of antisemitism.

After his apprehension past March, Khalil spent 104 days successful an migration jail, missing nan commencement of his first child, earlier he was ordered released by a national judge successful New Jersey.

Khalil suffered a important setback successful his national lawsuit earlier this year, pinch a U.S. appeals sheet ruling nan judge successful New Jersey overstepped his authority by releasing him. In a 2-1 decision, nan sheet recovered that rule requires nan lawsuit to afloat move done nan migration courts earlier Khalil tin situation nan determination successful national court.

Khalil’s lawyers are requesting nan afloat appeals sheet reconsider nan decision. Earlier this month, they asked 1 of nan appellate panel’s judges to measurement speech because of his erstwhile domiciled arsenic a apical Justice Department charismatic progressive successful investigating student protesters.

Khalil was calved successful Syria to a Palestinian family and holds Algerian citizenship done a distant relative. He has said that he could beryllium targeted, and moreover killed, if he is deported.