Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil has lost a bid to have his deportation case dismissed by an immigration appeals board. Khalil, a green card holder from Syria who is of Palestinian descent, was arrested in 2025 after leading anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. His attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, accused the Trump administration of exerting undue influence over immigration courts. The Department of Homeland Security stated Khalil's activities were aligned to Hamas and pledged to remove foreigners deemed to be "Hamas supporters" from the country.