Anti-Israel Activist Mahmoud Khalil Expected to Be Deported to Algeria: DHS [WATCH]

Federal officials say anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, is expected to be deported from the United States to Algeria, bringing a prolonged legal fight over his immigration status closer to an end, as reported by The New York Post.

Khalil, 31, was born in Syria and was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement early last year as part of the Trump administration’s response to anti-Israel protests on U.S. college campuses.

The administration accused Khalil of committing fraud on his green card application, a charge that formed the basis for removal proceedings.

“It looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now,” Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said Wednesday during an appearance on Katie Pavlich Tonight.

McLaughlin said the case should serve as a warning to foreign nationals residing in the United States.

“It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card. You are a guest in this country — act like it,” she said. “It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study.”

UPDATE

Mahmoud Khalil is set to be deported to Algeria, according to DHS.

Mahmoud Khalil is an Algerian and fmr Columbia University graduate student who gained prominence as a spokesperson during the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia.

pic.twitter.com/o0C3ZdJZAW

— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) January 22, 2026

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The Trump administration has pursued Khalil’s deportation since he became one of the first individuals detained during the federal crackdown on anti-Israel demonstrations at universities.

Federal officials have claimed Khalil supported Hamas, an allegation Khalil has denied.

Khalil spent approximately three months in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, during which time he missed the birth of his first child.

The government justified his detention under a rarely used provision of immigration law that allows noncitizens to be removed if their presence or activities are deemed a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests.

In June, a federal judge in New Jersey ordered Khalil’s release, ruling that the government’s justification would likely be found unconstitutional. That decision temporarily halted his detention and cast doubt on the administration’s legal strategy.

However, the White House secured a significant legal victory last week when a federal appeals court overturned the lower court’s ruling.

The three-judge panel held that Khalil’s case should proceed through the standard immigration court process before he could pursue a broader constitutional challenge.

Following the appeals court decision, McLaughlin publicly urged Khalil to leave the country voluntarily. She called on him to “self-deport now before he is arrested, deported, and never given a chance to return.”

As of this week, federal officials have not confirmed when Khalil will be taken back into custody ahead of his removal. DHS has not released a specific timeline for the deportation.

Another major victory for the Trump Administration, Mahmoud Khalil will be rearrested and deported to Algeria. pic.twitter.com/sQhv79ig2Q

— Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) January 22, 2026

Khalil has described the allegations against him as “baseless and ridiculous.”

He has argued that the immigration case is retaliation for his political activism, saying the situation is a “direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza.”

Federal authorities maintain that the case centers on immigration violations and national security considerations, not protected speech.

Immigration court proceedings are expected to continue as officials finalize plans for Khalil’s removal to Algeria.

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