A Columbia University student omitted details about his involvement with the controversial U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) when he applied for permanent residency in the United States, according to federal authorities.
Court filings allege that he also left out additional work history and campus affiliations that contribute to the reasons that the government believes he is subject to removal.
Khalil was a leader in campus protests against Israel’s invasion of Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Federal authorities also argued that the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, which is hearing the habeas corpus case in which Khalil is challenging his detention, lacks jurisdiction.
The “certain organizations” reference in the March 17 NTA pertains to the UNRWA.
That document stated: “You have been admitted to the United States, but are removable for the reasons stated below. ... The Secretary of State has determined that your presence or activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
Khalil, a native of Syria and a citizen of Algeria, entered the United States on a student visa in December 2022. He later adjusted his status to lawful permanent resident in November 2024, based on marriage.
Federal agents detained him on March 8 in New York City and sent him to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Facility in Jena, Louisiana. He remains there while awaiting removal proceedings.
The U.S. government in the March 17 NTA added “additional charges of deportability,” alleging that Khalil could be removed because he was “inadmissible at the time of his adjustment of status.”
The filing states that he neglected to specifically report that he was a “political affairs officer” for UNRWA in 2023. It further accuses him of failing to mention that he was a member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest.
The government claims that these omissions were material facts and that Khalil sought to “procure ... an immigration benefit ... by fraud or by willfully misrepresenting a material fact.”
UNRWA operates in areas with large Palestinian refugee populations, offering services such as food and health care. Its role has become a point of contention in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The United Nations said in August 2024 that an investigation found that nine of the agency’s staff members may have been involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Israeli officials have accused 13 UNRWA workers of being involved in the attacks.
Supporters of Khalil describe him as an advocate for Palestinian rights who became a leading voice at campus demonstrations.
Khalil’s detention has drawn attention from civil liberties groups, which question whether the deportation case was brought because of his protests.
Khalil’s lawyers did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times on the government’s new arguments.
A separate lawsuit challenging his detention remains pending in federal court, where a judge has barred his immediate removal pending further proceedings.
A hearing on the government’s allegations is scheduled for March 27 at an immigration court in Louisiana.
Khalil continues to contest the charges, insisting that his political activities should not subject him to deportation.
