U.S. Government Cites Political Views in Effort to Deport Columbia Activist Mahmoud Khalil

The U.S. government is moving to deport Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, citing his political views and campus activism as grounds for removal. In a memo filed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the government argues that Khalil’s presence undermines U.S. foreign policy, particularly efforts to combat antisemitism, despite his conduct being otherwise lawful.

The memo, submitted to an immigration court Wednesday, April 9th, responds to a judge’s request for evidence justifying Khalil’s detention. Khalil, 30, a legal permanent resident born in Syria, was arrested on March 8th in New York and transferred to a detention center in Louisiana. He recently completed his graduate studies at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and is expecting his first child with his U.S. citizen wife.

Rubio’s memo does not accuse Khalil of criminal activity. Instead, it claims that his support for Palestinian rights and participation in protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza conflict with U.S. foreign policy. “Condoning anti-Semitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective,” Rubio wrote.

Khalil’s attorneys, Marc Van Der Hout and Johnny Sinodis emphasized that the memo confirms that the government’s case rests on Khalil’s political speech. They stated that after a month of unjust detention, immigration authorities have admitted they have no case against him.

The filing references additional documents, including a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) profile, but those materials were not submitted to the court. A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, did not clarify whether more evidence exists, stating only, “DHS did file evidence, but immigration court dockets are not available to the public.”

Khalil, in a letter from detention, said he is being targeted as part of “a broader strategy to suppress dissent.” His case comes amid growing concern that immigration authorities are scrutinizing social media for views critical of Israel, which could affect visa and residency applications.