ALBAWABA - Palestinian-American activist Mahmoud Khalil recently filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government and several other private groups for allegedly taking part in a conspiracy to suppress pro-Palestine and human rights individuals who are critical of Israel by doxing, jailing, and attempting to deport them, as reported by CNN.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in federal court. It alleges that senior officials who are part of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, leaders of the Heritage Foundation, and two online surveillance groups, Canary, were part of the "coordinated" campaign.
Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump officials and pro-Israel groups for targeting Israel critics
It's important to note that Khalil, who is a former Columbia University graduate, was arrested back in March 2025 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents over his advocacy for Palestine and Gaza. According to The Guardian, Mahmoud Khalil was held in ICE detention for a whopping 104 days and missed the birth of his child. The Trump administration argued that Khalil's views posed a threat to US foreign policy, which could've resulted in his deportation.
In response, Khalil and his lawyers retaliated by citing his First Amendment-protected activism before his release. Many human rights and pro-Palestine activists took to Khalil's defense as well. The Palestinian-American also argued that his criticism of Israel isn't an act of antisemitism but a protest against the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which resulted in the killing of over 70,000 Palestinians, aside from those missing under the rubble.
Former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil speaks to his wife Noor Abdalla during a press conference outside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on June 22, 2025, two days after his release from US custody. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP)
The lawsuit was filed under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a law signed by President Ulysses S. Grant to suppress white supremacist violence in the US.
Khalil took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "Today, I sued the Heritage Foundation, Stephen Miller, a Columbia affiliate, and others under the KKK Act. I will not stop fighting until everyone who willingly contributed to my missing the birth of my son—and 104 days of my life—answers for it. More actions will come soon.
He added, "But this lawsuit is about far more than what was done to me. It is about a coordinated, ongoing plot to punish, silence, and intimidate everyone who dares to dissent and speak out for Palestinian liberation. We will hold them accountable."
