US judge rules pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil can be deported

A United States immigration judge has ruled that the deportation case against Mahmoud Khalil can proceed, a month after the Columbia University graduate student was detained over his involvement in pro-Palestine protests.

Judge Jamee Comans made the determination on Friday at the end of a nearly two-hour hearing.

Khalil can appeal the ruling.

The case has drawn widespread scrutiny as rights advocates accuse President Donald Trump’s administration of cracking down on free speech and pro-Palestine activism under the guise of fighting anti-Semitism.

More to come…