An American judge ruled the Trump administration can expel Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate of the University of Columbia, arrested last month for his role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Khalil, a permanent legal resident of the United States, was not accused of a crime. In a letter written in the establishment, he declared that his “arrest was a direct consequence” of speech for Palestinian rights.
The government has cited an immigration law of the Cold War era, declaring that its presence in the United States was unfavorable to the American interests of foreign policy.
The decision of the immigration court does not mean that Mr. Khalil would be immediately withdrawn from the country. The judge gave his lawyers until April 23 to appeal the order.
The activist has been held in a Louisiana detention center since March 8, when immigration agents told him that he was expelled for participating in demonstrations against the war in Gaza.
The 30 -year -old was an eminent voice during the demonstrations of the University of Columbia against the war in Gaza last year.
The Trump administration cited a 1952 law which allows the government to order someone to export if their presence in the country could pose unfavorable consequences for American foreign policy.
The judge said that the Trump administration had been authorized to move forward with his efforts to expel Mr. Khalil because the argument that he poses “unfavorable consequences of foreign policy” for the United States is “both reasonable”.
Mr. Khalil, who was otherwise silent, addressed the court after the decision.
“I would like to quote what you said the last time that there is nothing more important for this court than the rights of the regular procedure and fundamental equity,” Khalil said in court.
“Obviously, what we have seen today, none of these principles was present today or in this whole process,” he said. “This is exactly why the Trump administration sent me before this court, 1,000 miles from my family.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described the decision as “pre-written”.
The rights defense group said that the decision had made less than 48 hours after the United States government “had given the” proof “that they have on Mr. Khalil – who understood nothing more than a letter from the Secretary of State Marco Rubio who made clear that Mr. Khalil had not committed a crime and was only targeted on his speech.”
The government, in particular Rubio, said that its efforts to expel Mr. Khalil also had to “protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the United States” even if its activities were “otherwise legal”.
Mr. Khalil also brought a federal legal action in New Jersey contesting his arrest as unconstitutional. His lawyers said the outcome of this case could block his expulsion if they won.
The Trump administration said separately that the student had committed immigration fraud by not revealing certain information about his request for a green card.
This includes work for the British embassy in Beirut and the United Nations Agency for Palestinian migrants and refugees. But the government has not submitted any new evidence related to this.
Mr. Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdallah, is currently in his ninth month of pregnancy due to giving birth to their first child, probably without her husband by his side.
The BBC contacted the White House and the Ministry of Justice to comment on Friday’s decision.
