Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian rights advocate and lawful permanent resident of the U.S., is contesting a September 12 ruling by an immigration judge in Louisiana that ordered his deportation to Syria or Algeria. This decision was made based on Khalil’s alleged failure to disclose specific information on his green card application.
On Thursday, Khalil’s legal team filed a letter to U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in New Jersey, who is overseeing Khalil’s civil rights case. The letter contends that the immigration judge’s ruling was procedurally flawed, violated due process, and was based on what the attorneys described as “pretextual” misrepresentation charges levied by the government following Khalil’s detention.
“It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech,” Khalil stated. “Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again.”
Khalil’s attorneys highlighted that it is uncommon for immigration judges to deny waivers for lawful permanent residents who lack a criminal record and have U.S. citizen spouses and children. They argued that the judge hastily reached a decision without allowing an evidentiary hearing and engaged in “multiple procedural irregularities.”
Currently, federal court orders remain in place to prevent Khalil’s detention or deportation while his civil rights case unfolds. His legal team expressed that the immigration judge’s ruling further supports their assertion that the government is retaliating against Khalil for his advocacy of Palestinian human rights.
“The Trump administration will stop at nothing to try to silence Mr. Khalil,” remarked Johnny Sinodis, a partner at Van Der Hout LLP, one of the multiple legal groups representing Khalil. “The immigration judge’s September 12 decision is just the most recent example of what occurs when the system requires an arbiter that is anything but neutral.”
In June, Judge Farbiarz ruled that the government’s initial justification for Khalil’s detention was likely unconstitutional, as it was based solely on authorization from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following this ruling, the government introduced new charges alleging misrepresentations on Khalil’s green card application, which his attorneys characterize as “meritless and retaliatory.”
Tags: Palestinian rights, Mahmoud Khalil, immigration judge, deportation decision, federal court
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