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Mahmoud Khalil filed a $20 million lawsuit against the Trump administration

According to the activist, he was "falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and defamed as an anti-Semite."

Mahmoud Khalil/ Kena Betancur

Mahmoud Khalil/ Kena BetancurAFP

Joaquín Núñez
Published by
Joaquín Núñez

Mahmoud Khalil filed a $20 million lawsuit against the Trump administration. The pro-Palestinian activist, who spent 104 days in detention after authorities tried to deport him for his involvement in antisemitic protests at Columbia University, initiated legal action for damages. He was, he alleged, "falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted, and smeared as an antisemite."

As the activist told The Associated Press, he cannot forgive the White House for keeping him imprisoned while his wife gave birth: "I cannot describe the pain of that night. This is something I will never forgive."

As for the damages suit, it names the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of State as co-defendants. If he wins the lawsuit, Khalil said he will share the money with others "affected by Trump's failed attempt to suppress pro-Palestinian free speech."

"They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable. Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked," Khalil stated in dialogue with AP.

The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil

Khalil's arrest came on March 10, a few days after it was reported that the Department of State would begin canceling visas for foreign students who support terrorist groups, particularly Hamas. The young man is part of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a group that backs Hamas' "armed resistance."

The Palestinian-born student was one of the CUAD leaders who organized the on-campus camps. "And we've been working all this summer on our plans, on what's next to put pressure on Columbia to listen to the students and decide to be on the right side of history. We're looking at a wide range of actions throughout the semester, camps and protests and all that. But for us, the camp is now our new base," Khalil said in August 2024.

"This should serve as a warning to foreign students temporarily in the United States: under this administration, if you support terrorist groups, we will deport you," a Department of State official said at the time.

In all, the activist spent 104 days in a detention center in Louisiana.

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