The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Thursday that Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student accused by the Trump administration of being pro-Hamas, will be deported to North Africa—specifically, Algeria. And just like that, another so-called “activist” learns that the United States is not obligated to host people who openly sympathize with terrorists.
The decision follows an appellate court ruling that cleared the way for Khalil’s removal. Khalil, who is Syrian-born, became a prominent figure during the violent anti-Israel protests that overtook Columbia University and spread across elite campuses nationwide after the savage Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023.
Khalil wasn’t just a protester—he was a key organizer and “student negotiator” for demonstrations that disrupted campuses and, in many cases, crossed the line into intimidation, vandalism, and outright chaos. Rather than condemning Hamas for its barbaric assault—where innocent civilians were raped, burned alive, executed, and taken hostage—Khalil and many like him chose to side with terrorists, hiding behind the familiar excuse of “the plight of the Palestinian people.”
Let’s not forget: the Palestinian electorate voted Hamas into power in 2006. That inconvenient fact is usually left out of the campus teach-ins.
Following the October 7 massacre, protests erupted at UCLA, Columbia, Harvard, the University of Michigan, and countless other institutions. What should have been a moment of moral clarity instead exposed a disturbing level of radicalization among America’s youth. The response from too many students wasn’t horror—it was justification.
Nobody deserves what happened to innocent Israelis at the hands of Hamas terrorists. Full stop.
According to DHS, Khalil will no longer be enjoying the freedoms and protections of the United States. His activism, record, and conduct made clear he was not a benefit to this country—and the Trump administration acted accordingly.
Mahmoud Khalil proved time and again that he is not a net plus for America. His departure won’t be mourned, and perhaps he’ll find fulfillment in his new home, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
