Federal government submits evidence in deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil

The federal government met a federal judge's request to provide evidence for deporting former

Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. In a letter submitted by Secretary of

State Marco Rubio Wednesday, the Trump administration argues Khalil's public actions and continued presence in the United States would have potentially serious adverse foreign

policy consequences for the country. The letter also states Khalil's activities undermine U.S. policy to combat anti-Semitism. Immigration authorities arrested Khalil

a green card holder married to a U.S. citizen, in early March, claiming he was a prominent figure

in organizing Columbia University's pro-Palestinian protests on campus last year. The U.S. State Department revoked Khalil's green card, arguing he's a pro-Hamas sympathizer who

poses a risk to national security. Last month, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration

from deporting Khalil. On Tuesday, an immigration judge in Louisiana told the Trump administration

to produce evidence to support Khalil's deportation within 24 hours. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

submitted that letter into evidence by Wednesday afternoon. In his letter, Rubio made no mention

or connection of Khalil being linked to the Hamas terror group. Rubio has said more than 300 student

visas have been revoked for foreign students If you come to this country as a student we expect you to go to class and study and get a degree If you come here to like vandalize a library take over a campus and do all kinds of crazy things you know we going to get rid of these people and we going to continue to do it So when we identify lunatics like these

we take away their student visa. No one's entitled to a student visa

Critics of Khalil's arrest say the Trump administration is violating the U.S

Constitution, calling Khalil's detention and possible deportation an attack on First Amendment

rights. Khalil's legal team criticized Rubio's letter, arguing it does not meet the standard

of proving Khalil's actions compromise U.S. foreign policy interests. Instead, his attorney

says the Trump administration wants to silence those who disagree with the Israeli or U.S

government, saying this case is a dangerous slope and Khalil will fight it till the end

Khalil's legal team addressed reporters during a Zoom meeting Thursday. What the Rubio letter talks about is they're trying to protect, they say, Jewish students in the United States, Jewish people in the United States from anti-Semitism

But what is the anti-Semitism? It is criticizing Israel and the United States for the slaughtering that is going on in Gaza and Palestine

The immigration judge will rule Friday whether Khalil will be deported or go free

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Keenan. For more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com