Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Columbia University Over Alleged Retaliation and Harassment

Palestinian activist and former graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has filed a major civil rights lawsuit against Columbia University in federal court in New York City. The legal action alleges that the Ivy League institution systematically failed to safeguard pro-Palestinian student activists from persistent harassment, while actively retaliating against individuals who stepped forward to report mistreatment on campus.

According to the complaint, the university demonstrated a pattern of deliberate indifference toward the safety of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The lawsuit asserts that this administrative inaction fostered a hostile educational environment that directly contributed to the doxing of several student activists and ultimately played a role in Khalil’s high-profile apprehension by federal immigration authorities.

Speaking at a news conference convened to announce the legal filing, Khalil directly criticized the university administration, characterizing its posture as a targeted effort to suppress activism. He asserted that the school engaged in calculated discrimination intended to intimidate and silence Palestinian students who voiced opposition to institutional policies and international events.

During his address, Khalil emphasized the personal and collective toll experienced by student organizers over recent years. He explained that the decision to pursue federal litigation was rooted in ensuring that no student, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background, is subjected to the severe institutional neglect and hostility that he and his fellow activists encountered during their time at Columbia.

The lawsuit features multiple plaintiffs seeking accountability from the university. In addition to Khalil, the legal complaint formally names the suspended pro-Palestinian campus student organization as well as the group’s president, Mohammad Zubairi, challenging the university's disciplinary and administrative actions against their collective advocacy efforts.

In terms of legal remedies, the lawsuit asks the federal court to intervene by finding Columbia liable for civil rights violations. The plaintiffs are requesting a formal court order that would reinstate Khalil’s campus access privileges and immediately overturn the official suspension imposed on the pro-Palestinian student organization, alongside financial damages to be established at trial.

Columbia University declined to address the specific allegations raised in the litigation. However, in an emailed statement, university representatives maintained that establishing a campus environment where every community member feels welcome, supported, and secure remains fundamental to the school's core institutional mission and values.

The university further stated that it remains dedicated to safeguarding its campus community against all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. The administration underscored its commitment to responding both promptly and appropriately whenever student safety concerns or complaints of misconduct are brought to its attention.

The complaint presents detailed accusations regarding how the university allegedly responded to student grievances. Rather than conducting thorough inquiries into reported instances of harassment, the lawsuit contends that Columbia administrators retaliated by classifying events hosted by the pro-Palestinian student group as heightened security threats.

The legal filing further challenges the university's administrative conduct, asserting that officials altered student disciplinary policies to penalize political speech critical of the Israeli government. At Monday's news briefing, Khalil also accused the university of deploying surveillance measures against student organizers and hiring private investigators to track his personal movements.

Khalil first gained widespread public attention as a prominent student spokesperson at Columbia, representing demonstrators protesting against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. His visible leadership role placed him at the center of intense national and campus debates surrounding the ongoing conflict and student activism.

In March 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Khalil into custody directly from his on-campus residence. The arrest transformed the former graduate student into a central figure in the Trump administration's broader enforcement campaign targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrators across American university campuses.

Following his arrest, Khalil was held for 104 days inside an immigration detention center located in Louisiana, a confinement that caused him to miss the birth of his first child. He was subsequently freed after a federal judge in New Jersey ordered his release, though his formal deportation proceedings remain active in the immigration court system.

The lawsuit asserts that Columbia actively worsened Khalil's plight by refusing to correct public disinformation circulating about his actions while he remained in federal custody. The complaint argues that allowing false narratives to stand unchecked fueled an environment of peer-on-peer harassment targeting Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students throughout the university.

This federal action marks the latest legal clash between Khalil and the university. Last year, the activist initiated separate legal proceedings against Columbia in an effort to prevent the university from turning over confidential student records to an investigating congressional committee.