Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has sued Columbia University, alleging administrators failed to address harassment directed at him and members of a pro-Palestinian campus organization, and retaliated when the abuse was reported.

Filed in federal court in New York City, the civil rights complaint claims the institution's "deliberate indifference" led to the doxing of several students and contributed to Khalil’s detention by immigration agents.

Columbia declined to comment directly on the litigation, but stated in an email that "creating a campus environment where every member of our community feels welcome, supported, and safe is fundamental to who we are as a University."

The institution added, "Columbia is committed to protecting our community from discrimination and harassment, and responding promptly and appropriately when concerns arise."

Khalil previously took legal action against Columbia last year to prevent student records from being released to a congressional committee.

A former Columbia graduate student, Khalil rose to prominence representing activists protesting Israel's actions in Gaza.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested him at his campus home in March 2025, turning him into a prominent figure in the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Khalil spent 104 days in a Louisiana immigration facility, missing the birth of his first child, until a federal judge in New Jersey ordered his release.

His deportation case remains pending.

The legal filing states that Columbia "refused to correct disinformation" regarding Khalil during his detention, "allowing a false narrative about his conduct and role to persist and further enabling peer-on-peer harassment of other Palestinian students and students with perceived shared Arab and/or Muslim ancestry."

Instead of reviewing harassment claims, the suit alleges the university retaliated by framing group events as security risks and updating disciplinary policies to restrict criticism of the Israeli government.

Citing civil rights violations, the suit requests a court order granting Khalil campus access, lifting the student group's suspension, and seeking damages "to be determined at trial."

The pro-Palestinian group and its president, Mohammad Zubairi, are also plaintiffs.