US: Columbia student hid ties to UN’s Palestinian Relief Agency
The US government accused Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil of hiding his work for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA). They claimed this omission justifies his deportation. Khalil, detained on April 8, was a leading figure in pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Officials said Khalil failed to disclose his 2023 role as a UNRWA political officer and his previous job with the Syria office at the British embassy in Beirut. The Trump administration argued his actions posed serious foreign policy risks and pushed for his deportation, despite his legal residency.
A New Jersey district court halted his deportation while reviewing a habeas petition challenging his detention. Meanwhile, the US government argued that the court lacks jurisdiction over his custody. Khalil remains in custody in Louisiana.
In August, the UN reported that nine UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the October 7 attacks. The Trump administration continues to crack down on student activists and has threatened to cut funding for universities like Columbia if they fail to cooperate.
President Trump, on Truth Social, called Khalil’s arrest “the first of many,” linking it to his broader crackdown on pro-Palestine activism. Khalil’s lawyer, Ramie Kaseem, called the government’s removal grounds “weak and pretextual,” arguing the real motive was retaliation for Khalil’s pro-Palestine speech.
Khalil, an Algerian citizen born in Syria, has lived in the US since 2022 on a student visa and became a permanent resident in 2024. He is married to an American citizen.
The case has sparked debate on free speech, with many arguing that Khalil faces punishment for opposing US policy on Israel, a key American ally.
