‘They think they are untouchable’: Mahmoud Khalil seeks $20 million in damages

Mahmoud Khalil has filed a $20 million claim against the administration of US president Donald Trump, alleging false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and defamation during a months-long effort to deport him over his prominent role in pro-Palestinian campus protests. 

The legal action, filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, is directed at the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the State Department.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Khalil described his detention as a politically motivated punishment for his opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. “We filed for $20 million in damages… because of the unconstitutional and unlawful arrest and all these conditions that I was put under,” he said.

READ: Judge orders Trump administration to release Mahmoud Khalil, condemns ‘chilling’ assault on free speech

Khalil, 30, a Columbia University graduate student, was arrested without warrant on 8 March by plainclothes federal agents, who he says were unaware he was a legal US permanent resident. He was held for 104 days in a remote immigration facility in Jena, Louisiana, where he says he was denied vital medication, slept under harsh lights and lost 15 pounds due to inedible food. “I cannot describe the pain of that night,” he told the AP, recalling the moment he learned his son had been born in New York while he remained behind bars.

The Trump administration publicly lauded his arrest, accusing him of “pro-terrorist, antisemitic, anti-American activity”—claims Khalil forcefully denies. He has never been charged with a crime and has no ties to any designated group. “They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable,” he said. “Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.”

Khalil said he would also accept a formal apology in place of the settlement, underscoring that his aim is justice, not profit. “Ultimately, my goal is not self-enrichment. I don’t want this money just because I need money. What I want is actual accountability… against the injustices that happened against me.”

In June, a federal judge ordered Khalil’s release, citing the government’s attempt to remove him based on his beliefs as “most likely unconstitutional.” The campaign against him, however, continues. Khalil now faces new allegations related to his green card application, which his lawyers describe as retaliatory and baseless.

The State Department has defended its actions as lawful. Homeland Security called the damages claim “absurd.”

Khalil has vowed to share any damages awarded with other pro-Palestinian activists targeted by what he calls a “failed” campaign to criminalise dissent. “This administration has to pay for what it’s doing against me or against anyone who opposes their fascist agenda,” he said.

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