Volume
74
Abstract
In recent months, the Trump Administration has revived a controversial legal strategy aimed at stretching immigration law to enable aggressive enforcement. Among these efforts is a troubling misconception, exemplified by the case of Mahmoud Khalil, that the U.S. Department of State holds authority to revoke the legal status of individuals inside the country, deport them, or cancel lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. This claim directly contradicts longstanding immigration law, which limits the State Department’s role to visa issuance abroad and grants no domestic enforcement authority. Even visa revocations do not terminate lawful status once an individual is admitted. Despite this legal clarity, confusion persists among policymakers and the public. This article addresses and corrects these misunderstandings by distinguishing between visa validity and immigration status, analyzing the statutory framework and relevant case law to show that the State Department lacks authority to alter the status of individuals already within U.S. borders.
Recommended Citation
Nicholas Garon,
Hands Off Mahmoud Khalil: Why the State Department Can't Lawfully Revoke Green Cards, Enforce Immigration Law, or End Status,
74 Clev. St. L. Rev. Et Cetera
117
(2026)
available at https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/etcetera/vol74/iss1/5