US judge orders deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

An immigration judge in the US has ordered the deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to either Algeria or Syria, over claims he omitted information from a green card application.

Judge Jamee Comans, based in Louisiana, said Mr Khalil "wilfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process".

In a statement to the American Civil Liberties Union, Mr Khalil said: "It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech."

Mr Khalil, a permanent US resident of Palestinian descent, was a prominent figure during the 2024 Gaza war protests at Columbia University, where he studied.