U.S. alleges Columbia student covered up his work for UNRWA

U.S. accuses pro-Palestinian activist Khalil of withholding UNRWA affiliation on visa application, halts deportation pending hearing.

The U.S. Government has alleged that Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian demonstrator Mahmoud Khalil withheld that he worked for a United Nations Palestinian relief agency in his visa application, saying that should be grounds for deportation.

The U.N. agency known as UNRWA provides food and healthcare to Palestinian refugees and has become a flashpoint in the Israeli war in Gaza. Israel contends that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading the U.S. to halt funding of the group.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on March 8 detained Mr. Khalil, a prominent figure in the pro-Palestinian campus protests that rocked the New York City campus last year and sent him to Louisiana in an attempt to remove him from the country.

The case has drawn attention as a test of free speech rights, with supporters of Mr. Khalil saying he was targeted for publicly disagreeing with U.S. policy on Israel and its occupation of Gaza. Mr. Khalil has called himself a political prisoner.

The U.S. alleges Mr. Khalil’s presence or activities in the country would have serious foreign policy consequences.

A judge has ordered Mr. Khalil not to be deported while his lawsuit challenging his detention, known as a habeas petition, is heard in another federal court.

Mr. Khalil, a native of Syria and citizen of Algeria, entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2022 and later filed to become a permanent resident in 2024.