Mahmoud Khalil has taken legal action against the federal government and a number of private organizations, claiming they worked together in a coordinated effort to silence those who speak out against Israel by exposing their identities online, imprisoning them, and pursuing their deportation.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Tuesday and targets senior officials within President Donald Trump’s administration, leadership at the Heritage Foundation, and two online surveillance organizations known as Canary Mission and Betar. All three private groups had not responded to requests for comment as of Tuesday.
Khalil’s legal team argues that this alleged “public-private partnership” — which first came to light during a separate trial last year — may be in violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act. That law, dating back to the Reconstruction era, was designed to prevent the government from coordinating with vigilante groups.
Khalil, 31, is a former graduate student at Columbia University who rose to prominence as a spokesperson and organizer for student demonstrators protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza. He is a legal permanent resident and is married to a U.S. citizen.
In March 2025, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Khalil inside his campus apartment. He quickly became a central figure in the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists on college campuses.
Khalil was held for 104 days in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, during which time his first child was born. A federal judge in New Jersey ultimately ordered his release.
His deportation case has moved through the executive-branch-controlled immigration court system at a notably fast pace and may eventually be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Khalil has consistently rejected any suggestion that his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests constitutes antisemitism. In a previous interview with The Associated Press, he explained his position plainly: “My beliefs are not wanting my tax money or tuition going toward investments in weapons manufacturers for a genocide. It’s as simple as that.”
