Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student and prominent anti-Israel activist, is seeking $20 million in damages from the Trump administration over what he claims was politically motivated detention and deportation proceedings intended to punish him for supporting the Palestinians.
The complaint, currently filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act - a procedural precursor to a full lawsuit - alleges that Khalil was arrested on March 8 and spent over 100 days in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. His attorney asserts that Khalil's arrest was part of a broader political campaign targeting students involved in pro-Palestinian protests.
Khalil played a leading role in the 2024 spring protests at Columbia University, negotiating with university leadership and serving as a spokesperson for the student demonstrators. He was among the first arrested in what he described as a government effort to silence Palestinian voices under the guise of combating antisemitism.
According to the claim, Khalil missed the birth of his son and his Columbia graduation due to his detention, during which he suffered from malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and significant weight loss. He also cited fear for his and his family's safety after senior administration officials publicly accused him of supporting terrorism and antisemitism.
Khalil said he would use the compensation to establish a support fund for other students allegedly harmed by similar policies. Alternatively, he said he would settle for an official apology and a reversal of policies he views as persecuting students for their political beliefs.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson dismissed the claim as "ridiculous," insisting the government acted within its legal authority. A senior State Department official added that the measures taken against Khalil were "lawful, necessary, and based on facts."
In a recent development, a federal judge in New Jersey issued a temporary injunction halting Khalil's deportation, ruling that the rare use of a foreign policy clause to justify his removal likely violated his Fifth Amendment rights. Khalil has since been released from detention in Louisiana.
