New Delhi, April 12 -- A US immigration judge in Louisiana ruled on Friday (April 11) that Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil can be deported as a national security risk, marking a major escalation in the Trump administration's crackdown on student protesters.

Immigration Judge Jamee E. Comans concluded that the government had "established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable." She said Mahmoud Khalil's continued presence posed "potentially serious foreign policy consequences" for the United States.

Mahmoud Khalil, 30, a legal US resident pursuing a degree in international affairs, has not been charged with any crime. His lawyers argue that his arrest and detention violate his constitutional rights.

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