Who is Mahmoud Khalil? The US has ordered the extradition of Palestine

Defending Palestine at the cost of his voice has been paid by Mahmoud Khalil. The Palestinian student supporting Palestine and arrested during massive student protests in the US will now be deported from the US. Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, arrested in New York, was given life imprisonment by a Louisiana immigration court on Friday.

Khalil was not only involved in these protests

The US immigration judge has categorically stated that Mahmoud Khalil must be deported. The ruling is at a time when student protests for Palestine and against the Gaza war in the US are at their highest. Khalil was not only involved in these protests, but he has also become the face of these protests.

What is the court's ruling?

Immigration Judge Jamie Commons of LaSalle Immigration Court in Louisiana ordered Mahmoud Khalil on Friday to be deported from the US. This is not an immediate deportation order, but rather a victory in policy for the Trump administration. 

Is this a threat to U.S. foreign policy?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a letter last month quoted the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to characterize Khalil as a danger to America's foreign policy. "Khalil's activity in anti-Semitic demonstrations and unruly behavior has generated a hostile environment for Jewish students in the US. In such a circumstance, he should be deported from the US." Rubio further explained that Khalil did not violate any laws, but if someone opposes US foreign policy, his immigration status can be terminated.

Who is Mahmoud Khalil?

Mahmoud Khalil is a Palestinian refugee born in a refugee camp in Syria. He is an Algerian national and was a lawful permanent citizen of the US last year. His wife is a US citizen and he is a student at Columbia University. Khalil has emerged as a well-known figure among the pro-Palestinian student movements nowadays, who has strongly protested against the US policies.

What did Khalil say to the court?

When he heard the deportation order, Khalil informed the court, "Nothing is more vital to the court than due process, rights and fundamental impartiality. These values were totally missing from what we witnessed today. That's why the Trump administration has placed me in this courtroom, a thousand miles away from my family."

Why is this issue significant?

This is not merely an example of deporting a student, but has become a prime example of increasing student movements, freedom of expression, and foreign policy confrontation in America. This has implications not just about the condition of US campuses, but about how support for Palestine can now influence global politics.