Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born activist and former Columbia University graduate student, is set to be deported to Algeria, federal officials confirmed Wednesday. The decision comes after a prolonged legal battle over his immigration status.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the matter during an appearance on Katie Pavlich Tonight. “It looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now,” she stated. McLaughlin highlighted the broader message for noncitizens, emphasizing, “It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study.”
A three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently overturned a lower court ruling that had ordered Khalil’s release, allowing his case to proceed through the immigration system. Following the appellate decision, McLaughlin urged Khalil to “self-deport now before he is arrested, deported, and never given a chance to return.”
It remains unclear when federal authorities will retake Khalil into custody, marking the next step in his deportation process.
