The United States is one step closer to being rid of "pro-Palestinian" activist and agitator Mahmoud Khalil. On Thursday, the Board of Immigration Appeals denied Khalil's appeal to drop his deportation case. A final order of removal has been issued. That, as the saying goes, would seem to be that.
An immigration appeals board has denied Mahmoud Khalil’s latest bid to dismiss his deportation case, a largely expected ruling that brings the former Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian activist one step closer to re-arrest and possible expulsion.
The Board of Immigration Appeals issued the final order of removal on Thursday, according to Khalil’s lawyers.
The board’s rulings are not public, and an inquiry to the US Department of Justice was not immediately returned.
Khalil said he was not surprised by the ruling, which he called “biased and politically motivated.”
Well, the ruling may be biased in favor of enforcing our immigration laws. While at Columbia University, Khalil was a significant figure in pro-Gaza, pro-"Palestinian" protests, which were largely seen as undermining U.S. foreign policy. At the time, Khalil was in the United States on permanent resident status, which status was revoked by the Trump administration in 2025.
There's just one catch:
His attorneys said he cannot be lawfully detained or deported as he pursues a separate case in the federal court system.
It appears his federal case isn't going much better.
Khalil suffered a significant setback in his federal case earlier this year, with a US appeals panel ruling the judge in New Jersey overstepped his authority by releasing him.
In a 2-1 decision, the panel found that law requires the case to fully move through the immigration courts before Khalil can challenge the decision in federal court.
Khalil’s lawyers are requesting the full appeals panel reconsider the decision.
Earlier this month, they asked one of the appellate panel’s judges to step aside because of his previous role as a top Justice Department official involved in investigating student protesters.
It appears that Mahmoud Khalil won't be going anywhere soon, but it's beginning to look like the result will have him on an airplane bound for someplace that isn't here.
Read More: Trump Admin Scores Big Win in Mahmoud Khalil Case, but the Ruling Will Still Infuriate You
Bye: DHS Says Columbia U. Pro-Palestinian Agitator Mahmoud Khalil Will Be Deported to North Africa
This entire episode serves to point up some very interesting distinctions in how the left and the right view immigration policy, at least in broad strokes. The right, in this case, the Trump administration, seems to view immigration as something that must be done through legal channels, and which should only seek to bring in people who 1) wish to become Americans, and 2) will be an immediate and significant access to the country's economy. The left, on the other hand, seems to view immigration as a door thrown open wide to all and sundry, who are welcome to taxpayer-funded benefits the moment they set foot on American soil, whether they showed up legally or illegally. The left also welcomes in anti-American agitators, which is truly baffling.
The case of Mahmoud Khalil isn't over yet. He's still in the United States as of this writing. But for now, he's one step closer to deportation.
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