New York, New York - A recent report reveals that Palestinian rights activist Mahmoud Khalil's case has been fast-tracked for review by the Board of Immigration Appeals, as the Department of Justice continues to push for his deportation.

Internal DOJ documents obtained by the New York Times reveal that Khalil has experienced unusual treatment by the immigration appeals system, which seems to have fast-tracked his case.

"Please process as quickly as possible," read one memo, from October, indicating that Khalil's case was given a high priority even before it was received by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which is legally required to operate independently from the DOJ.

In April, the board issued a final administrative removal order, effectively giving the go-ahead for Khalil's deportation. His lawyers insist he cannot legally be removed from the country while a separate federal case continues.

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Once the case was received by the board, the decision came within only nine days. Such cases usually take months, if not years, to be finalized, especially if the subject is not in detention.

"That kind of timeline is unprecedented," Homero López, who served on the board under former President Joe Biden but was fired by the Trump administration, told the NYT. "Particularly for such a high-profile case on a novel legal issue."

Additionally, three judges reportedly recused themselves from the case for reasons that remain unclear, but which could potentially indicate a conflict of interest.

Former board Judge Andrea Sáenz said that such recusals raise questions about whether the judges "had somehow been looped into the case at an earlier stage."

"How many people touched this case when the immigration judge was handling it the first time?" she asked.

In a statement to the NYT, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson refused to deny that the executive branch had any involvement, claiming it "has the lawful authority to take actions."

Meanwhile, Khalil posted on X, "This story proves that the Trump administration's treatment of my case has always been corrupt and retaliatory. They put me through a sham immigration process while guaranteeing the outcome in advance."