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Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who played a leading role in the spread of pro-Gaza protests across U.S. universities, said he cannot be legally deported from the United States while his appeals process is ongoing.
In a video posted on Instagram on Thursday, Khalil responded to a statement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) saying it would deport him to Algeria. He said court orders remain in place that bar his detention or deportation while the appeals process continues.
“The orders ensuring that my detention or deportation is not legally permissible remain in effect as long as the appeals process is ongoing,” Khalil said.
He added that the U.S. administration has presented no evidence that he committed a crime or engaged in unlawful conduct.
“As I have said before, my only ‘crime’ was protesting a genocide funded and supported by the U.S. government and Columbia University,” he said, adding that he would continue to defend Palestinians’ rights “here or anywhere else until Palestine gains its freedom.”
On Thursday, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “It appears he will be heading to Algeria,” when asked about Khalil’s deportation, according to the account provided.
Khalil’s case dates back to March 8, 2025, when U.S. authorities arrested him, alleging he led protests at Columbia University condemning what he described as Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip. A judge later released him in June 2025 on the grounds that attempts to deport him over his political views could be unconstitutional.
Beginning in March 2025, the United States revoked the visas and legal status of more than 1,000 students, according to the account provided. Many of those affected filed lawsuits against the administration of President Donald Trump, and temporary orders were issued to restore the legal status of a small number of them.
Pro-Palestinian protests spread across the United States in 2024, starting at Columbia University and extending to more than 50 universities nationwide. Police detained more than 3,100 people, most of them students and faculty members.
Khalil was among the most prominent activists tied to the student movement, which sought to mobilize university and broader public opinion over Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
He was born in Syria to a Palestinian family displaced during the 1948 Nakba. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Lebanese American University in 2018 and moved to the United States in 2022 to continue his studies. He completed his master’s degree in December 2024 at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
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