The Trump administration says it has selected a destination for one of the most recognizable figures behind last year’s explosive campus protests. Federal officials now plan to deport Mahmoud Khalil—the self-styled leader of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that engulfed Columbia University—to Algeria, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the administration is preparing to re-detain Khalil following a January appeals court ruling that cleared the way for federal custody. “It looks like he’ll go to Algeria,” she said, emphasizing that visa and green-card holders are guests—“a privilege, not a right.”
Khalil, born in Syria and holding Algerian citizenship, rose to prominence in 2024 as the public face of protests that paralyzed parts of Columbia, prompted police responses, and triggered national scrutiny. He was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March and transferred to a Louisiana detention center before a New Jersey judge ordered his release—an order later undercut by the appeals court on jurisdictional grounds.
DHS alleges Khalil repeatedly refused to condemn Hamas, promoted extremist propaganda, intimidated Jewish students, and damaged property—claims his supporters dispute. Since his release, Khalil has toured media outlets and sued the administration, becoming a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement.
The administration confirmed Thursday it intends to execute Khalil’s removal order. The move signals a tougher line on foreign nationals tied to campus unrest—and a warning that the protest spotlight does not confer immunity.
