Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump admin for whopping amount, cites litany of issues
NEW YORK CITY: Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian-American activist, is seeking $20 million in damages from the Trump administration, alleging false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and defamation.
The claim, filed Thursday under the Federal Tort Claims Act, comes just weeks after Khalil was released from a Louisiana immigration jail following a controversial 104-day detention.
On March 8 plainclothes federal agents allegedly detained Khalil without a warrant as he returned home from dinner with his wife. Despite being a legal permanent U.S. resident, he was transferred to a remote ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana. According to the claim, his location was concealed from family and attorneys, and he was denied medical treatment and fed barely edible food, resulting in a 15-pound weight loss.
During his incarceration, Khalil missed the birth of his son, Deen. “I cannot describe the pain of that night,” he said, holding the baby in his Manhattan apartment. “This is something I will never forgive.”
ALSO READ
Whistleblower alleges unethical conduct by Trump judicial nominee Emil Bove
US halts Mexican cattle imports as flesh-eating nasty nears border
Khalil’s claim names the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and the State Department. It accuses the Trump administration of targeting him for his leadership in pro-Palestinian protests, smearing him as antisemitic, and seeking deportation to suppress dissent.
Though never charged with a crime, the administration publicly celebrated his arrest, labeling his activism “pro-terrorist".
A memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Khalil had not broken any laws, but argued his beliefs undermined U.S. foreign policy. “My beliefs are not wanting my tax money going to weapons manufacturers for a genocide,” Khalil said.
While in jail, Khalil became a mentor to fellow detainees, offering legal advice and translation help. He now fears renewed retaliation, with the government accusing him of green card misrepresentations—charges his lawyers call “baseless and retaliatory".
Since his release on June 20, ordered by a federal judge who found the deportation case likely unconstitutional, Khalil has been focused on rebuilding his life. “I’m trying to make up for the time with my son and wife,” he said.
Khalil remains committed to activism. “Opposing a genocide—this is your moral imperative when you're watching your people be slaughtered by the minute,” he said.