Key facts
- Mahmoud Khalil is suing the federal government and private groups, alleging a conspiracy to suppress criticism of Israel.
- The lawsuit claims a "public-private partnership" involving Trump administration officials, the Heritage Foundation, Canary Mission, and Betar.
- Khalil alleges this partnership may violate the Ku Klux Klan Act.
- Khalil, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested in March 2025 and held in immigration jail for 104 days.
- He was released by a federal judge in New Jersey.
Mahmoud Khalil has filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging a conspiracy to suppress criticism of Israel by doxing, jailing, and attempting to deport supporters of the pro-Palestinian movement. The suit names senior officials from President Donald Trump’s administration, leaders of the Heritage Foundation, and two online surveillance groups, Canary Mission and Betar, as defendants.
Khalil’s legal team contends that this alleged "public-private partnership," which came to light in a trial last year, may violate the Ku Klux Klan Act. Khalil, a 31-year-old former graduate student at Columbia University and a legal permanent resident, gained prominence as a spokesperson for student activists protesting Israel's actions in Gaza. He was arrested in March 2025 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and subsequently held in a Louisiana immigration jail for 104 days, missing the birth of his child, before being released by a federal judge in New Jersey.
The lawsuit highlights that Khalil’s deportation case was a priority for the Trump administration and has progressed rapidly through immigration courts, potentially reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. Khalil has denied that his activism constitutes antisemitism, stating his opposition is directed at investments in weapons manufacturers involved in what he describes as genocide.