A top official with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Thursday that activist Mahmoud Khalil will be taken into custody again and sent to Algeria.

President Donald Trump’s administration had previously sought to deport Khalil over his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations as a Columbia University graduate student in New York City. On March 8, 2025, he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and held for 104 days. On June 20, 2025, a federal district court ordered his release on bail, and the government subsequently appealed the decision.

On January 15, a federal appellate court reversed the district court’s order, stating that the Immigration and Nationality Act strips the district court of jurisdiction over the case. The court did not consider the merits of the case.

When asked about Khalil, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, said:

It looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now. 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. It is a privilege, not a right, to be in this country to live or to study. And if you are pushing propaganda that relishes the killings of Americans, or promotes terrorists, door is that way.

Khalil, a Syrian-born, legal permanent resident of the US, was the first of various academics to be detained during the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists. The administration alleges that Khalil and others threaten national security. However, opponents accuse Trump of chilling speech and violating the First Amendment.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the administration may not detain Khalil while he still has the opportunity to seek immediate appeal.

Khalil responded to the current status of his case, stating:

Today’s ruling is deeply disappointing, but it does not break our resolve. The door may have been opened for potential re-detainment down the line, but it has not closed our commitment to Palestine and to justice and accountability. I will continue to fight, through every legal avenue and with every ounce of determination, until my rights, and the rights of others like me, are fully protected.