Rubio's Move to Deport Anti-Israel Protester Sparks Legal Battle

Attorneys for Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student arrested during anti-Israel protests, have slammed a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the basis for their client’s potential deportation.

Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and graduate student at Columbia University, found himself at the center of a legal storm after participating in anti-Israel protests. Khalil’s lawyers criticized a two-page letter penned by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which they claim forms the shaky foundation of the case against Khalil. The letter, filed in an immigration court and published recently, argues that Khalil’s presence in the U.S. could adversely affect U.S. foreign policy interests due to his involvement in what the letter describes as ‘antisemitic protests and disruptive activities.’

Khalil was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 8 and subsequently had his green card revoked by Rubio. The Trump administration’s move to deport Khalil has been met with fierce opposition from his legal team, who argue that the government is overstepping constitutional bounds. During a virtual news conference, one of Khalil’s lawyers, Marc Van Der Hout, expressed dismay at the brevity and content of Rubio’s letter, stating, ‘Two pages, that’s it… Yet this administration wants to silence Mahmoud, wants to silence people speaking out against the government of Israel or the government of the United States.’

The case has drawn significant attention, with Khalil’s lawyers accusing the administration of ‘forum shopping’ to argue their case in a court more likely to rule in their favor. Federal Judge Jamee Comans is set to rule on Khalil’s potential deportation, a decision that Khalil’s legal team argues could have far-reaching implications for constitutional rights. Khalil himself has attributed his arrest to ‘anti-Palestinian racism,’ adding another layer of controversy to the ongoing legal battle.