DHS Says Mahmoud Khalil May Be Sent To Algeria

Authored by Arjun Singh via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said on Jan. 21 that Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist at the center of the Trump administration’s deportation battles, may be removed to Algeria.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who leads the department’s Office of Public Affairs, made the announcement during an appearance on the NewsNation show “Katie Pavlich Tonight” in response to a question about Khalil.

“It looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now,” McLaughlin said. “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.”

Khalil, who is a green card holder and thus a permanent resident, has been the subject of a longstanding legal controversy ever since he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8, 2025. He was involved in protests against Israel for actions during its war with Hamas in Gaza, which began after the terrorist group attacked the country on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Trump administration sought to remove Khalil from the country based on his activism at Columbia University, citing a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that permits the removal of foreign nationals whose presence may have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the United States.

The administration later added another charge of deportability, arguing in an immigration court that in his application to adjust status and become a lawful permanent resident, Khalil willfully misrepresented a material fact. Namely, he allegedly failed to disclose his affiliation with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an organization that opposes the Israeli government.

On these charges, Khalil was issued an order of removal on Sept. 12, 2025, by an immigration judge, sending him to Algeria, and in the alternative, to Syria. Khalil later filed a petition for release from ICE custody, seeking a writ of habeas corpus from federal district court, which was initially granted but later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, allowing for his re-arrest.

The government successfully argued before the court of appeals that Khalil could not be granted relief from a federal district court until he had been issued a “final order of removal,” that is, at the conclusion of his deportation proceedings. Khalil’s attorneys, by contrast, argued that his continued detention was a violation of his constitutional rights.

Khalil has not exhausted all of his legal options to remain in the United States. He could petition for a rehearing of the case by the full appeals court. If a rehearing is denied, he could also petition for a writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court to hear the case.

Additionally, Khalil could appeal the immigration judge’s removal order to the Board of Immigration Appeals, which specifically hears appeals from immigration courts. Thereafter, if the board denies him relief, he could appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, as the judge’s decision was issued in La Salle, Louisiana, which lies within their jurisdiction.

Khalil is a citizen of Algeria and was born in Syria in 1995. His wife, Noor Abdalla, a dentist and pro-Palestinian activist, as well as his minor son, are both U.S. citizens. His detention and removal proceedings have been highly criticized by free speech activist groups and some Democratic officials, such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Khalil’s attorney from the American Civil Liberties Union did not respond to The Epoch Times’ repeated requests for comment.