Administration officials cited a rarely used provision that allows people’s removal if they present “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

The White House justified revoking Khalil's green card by saying his involvement in protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians amounted to support for Hamas and ran afoul of Trump's executive order banning antisemitism. Green card holders typically must break the law to be deported.

The arrest of terrorist-sympathizing former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil is aimed at rooting out antisemitism from colleges.