“There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power,” said Khalil. “And I won’t stop here.”

Pro-Palestinian student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil on Thursday began the process of suing US President Donald Trump’s administration for US$20 million in damages for the harm he suffered as a result of the government’s “politically motivated plan to unlawfully arrest, detain, and deport” him.

“This is the first step towards accountability,” Khalil said in a statement. “Nothing can restore the 104 days stolen from me. The trauma, the separation from my wife, the birth of my first child that I was forced to  miss. But let’s be clear, the same government that targeted me for speaking out is using taxpayer dollars to fund Israel’s ongoing genocide in  Gaza.

“There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power,” he asserted. “And I won’t stop here. I will continue to pursue justice against everyone who contributed to my unlawful detention or spread lies in an attempt to destroy my reputation, including those affiliated with Columbia University. I’m holding the US Government accountable not just for myself, but for everyone they try to silence through fear, exile, or detention.”

In March, federal agents who were in plain clothes and lacked a warrant  accosted Khalil, a lawful permanent resident who recently finished a graduate program at Columbia, and his wife — Noor Abdalla, a US citizen who was then pregnant with their son — outside their New York City home. Following Khalil’s arrest, several other student activists critical of the US-backed Israeli assault on Gaza were also targeted for deportation.

The  claim that 30-year-old Khalil filed on Thursday against the US Homeland Security and State Departments, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a precursor to a lawsuit that will cite the Federal Tort Claims Act of 1946, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights, part of his legal team.

The filing accuses the Trump administration of carrying out a plan to deport Khalil “in a manner calculated to terrorise him and his family”, and says the mistreatment caused “severe emotional distress, economic hardship, damage to his reputation, and significant impairment of his First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights”.

Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent who was finally  freed from an ICE facility in Louisiana last month, is seeking US$20 million to help others similarly targeted by the government and Columbia, but “he would accept, in lieu of payment, an official apology and abandonment of the administration’s unconstitutional policy”, CCR explained.

The Associated Press  reported that “a White House spokesperson deferred comment to the State Department, which said its actions were fully supported by the law. In an emailed statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called Khalil’s claim ‘absurd,’ accusing him of ‘hateful behaviour and rhetoric’ that threatened Jewish students.”

While the departments’ comments signal that the Trump administration won’t be making any apologies, Khalil’s team is determined to move forward with his case.

“The Trump administration’s unconstitutional targeting of Mr. Khalil led to severe harms that he continues to navigate, including financial loss, reputational damage, and emotional distress,” said Samah Sisay, staff attorney at CCR. “Mr. Khalil will never get back the three months stolen from him while in immigration detention, including his child’s birth and first months of life. The government must take accountability for their unlawful actions and compensate Mr. Khalil for his suffering.”

Khalil’s claim was filed a day after an ICE official  testified under oath that a task force formed in March used lists from Canary Mission, an operation linked to Israeli intelligence agencies, and the pro-Israel group Betar Worldwide to compile reports on international students targeted for their protest activities.

Republished from Common Dreams, 10 July 2025

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.