Judge permits the deportation of Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil.

A US judge has decided that the Trump administration can remove Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University alumnus arrested last month due to his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Mr. Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the US, has not faced any criminal charges. In a letter sent from the facility, he stated that his “detention was a direct result” of advocating for Palestinian rights. The government has referenced an immigration law from the Cold War period, stating that his presence in the US was detrimental to American foreign policy goals.

The decision by the immigration court does not imply that Mr. Khalil will be swiftly deported from the nation. The judge granted his lawyers a deadline of 23 April to file an appeal against the order. The activist has been detained at a Louisiana facility since 8 March, when immigration officials informed him he was being deported for participating in demonstrations against the Gaza war.

The 30-year-old was a key figure in Columbia University’s demonstrations opposing the war in Gaza last year. The Trump administration has referenced a 1952 law that allows the government to deport individuals if their presence in the nation could adversely affect U.S. foreign policy.

The judge said the Trump administration was allowed to move forward with its effort to deport Mr Khalil because the argument that he poses “adverse foreign policy consequences” for the US is “facially reasonable”.

Mr Khalil, who was otherwise silent, addressed the court after the ruling.

“I would like to quote what you said last time that there’s nothing that’s more important to this court than due process rights and fundamental fairness,” Mr Khalil said in court.

“Clearly what we witnessed today, neither of these principles were present today or in this whole process,” he said. “This is exactly why the Trump administration has sent me to this court, 1,000 miles away from my family.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described the decision as “pre-written”.

The rights group said the ruling came less than 48 hours after the US government “handed over the ‘evidence’ they have on Mr. Khalil – which included nothing more than a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that made clear Mr Khalil had not committed a crime and was being targeted solely based on his speech”.

The government, particularly Rubio, has said its efforts to deport Mr Khalil were also to “protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the United States” even if his activities were “otherwise lawful”.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised the judge’s ruling on Friday.

“It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America,” she wrote on social media. “When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. Good riddance.”

Mr Khalil’s legal team has repeatedly said evidence of antisemitism has not been presented.

His lawyer, Marc Van Der Hout, condemned the decision and said his team was going to fight for Mr Khalil’s “right to speak out against what’s happening in the US”.

The legal team also said they expected further hearings in the case.

“I actually had a long conversation with him after the hearing,” Johnny Sinodis, another member of Mr Khalil’s legal team, told t later on Friday. “He’s feeling confident. He’s feeling supported.”

“Mahmoud is not against the United States, he is not antisemitic,” he said. “He has done nothing wrong.”