Ana Faguy & Nomia Iqbal
BBC News
Watch: The moment Mahmoud Khalil is arrested by a US immigrant officer in New York
A US judge ruled that the Trump administration could deport Mahmoud Khalil.
Halil, a permanent resident of the United States, has not been charged with a crime. In a letter written from the facility, he said his “arrest was a direct result of speaking out for Palestinian rights.”
The government cited Cold War immigration laws and declared his presence in the United States was at a disadvantage in the interests of American foreign policy.
The immigration court ruling does not mean that Mr. Halil will be removed from the country any time soon. The judge sued his lawyer until April 23rd to oppose the order.
The activist has been in custody at the Louisiana Detention Center since March 8th and told him he was deported after immigration officials took part in protests against the war in Gaza.
The 30-year-old was a prominent voice in Columbia University’s protests against the war in Gaza last year.
The Trump administration cited a 1952 law that empowers the government to order deportation orders if its presence within the country could have a disadvantage on American foreign policy.
The judge said the Trump administration was allowed to move forward with efforts to deport Khalil from the country, saying that he would raise “opportunistic outcomes of a foreign policy” to the United States.
Mr. Halil, who otherwise remained silent, spoke to the court after the verdict.
“I would like to quote what you said last time that this court has nothing more important than the rights and fundamental fairness of a legitimate process,” Khalil told the court.
“Obviously, what we witnessed today was not present in the entire process today either,” he said. “This is why the Trump administration sent me to this courthouse, 1,000 miles from my family.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described the decision as “pre-written.”
Rights groups said the ruling was issued within 48 hours of the US government handing over “evidence” to Khalil. This includes a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, revealing that Khalil had not committed any crimes and was targeted solely based on his speech.”
The government, Rubio in particular, said the efforts to deport Halil were also to “protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the United States,” even if his activities were “otherwise legal.”
Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem praised the judge’s ruling on Friday.
“It’s a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States,” she wrote on social media. “When you praise and support terrorists who taste the murder of Americans, and harassing Jews, that privilege should be revoked and you should not be in this country.
Watch: After deportation, the case of Halil says “far”
Halil’s legal team has repeatedly said that no evidence of anti-Semitism has been presented.
His lawyer, Mark van der Hout, condemned the decision, saying his team would fight for Halil’s “right to oppose what’s going on in the US.”
The legal team also said it is hoping for further hearings on the case.
“I actually had a long conversation with him after the hearing,” Johnny Sinodis, another member of Mr. Halil’s legal team, told the BBC on Friday. “He’s confident. He feels supported.”
“Mahmoud is not opposed to the US, he is not anti-Semitic,” he said. “He’s done nothing wrong.”
Halil also filed a federal court case in New Jersey, challenging his arrest that was illegal. His lawyers said if the outcome of the case is won, it could prevent him from being deported.
The Trump administration has individually claimed that students committed immigration fraud by failing to disclose certain information about their green card applications.
This includes working for the British Embassy in Beirut and the United Nations agency for Palestinian immigrants and refugees. However, the government has not provided any new evidence related to this.
In a statement, Taylor Rogers, deputy press office at the White House, said the Trump administration is “committed to enforce our immigration laws and will take prompt action to eliminate foreigners who have serious, unfavourable foreign policy consequences on the United States.”
Watch: BBC speaks to Colombian students after suspension
