Palestinian activist sues Trump administration over alleged conspiracy to target activists

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump's administration, accusing federal officials and right-wing groups of conspiring to intimidate and detain pro-Palestinian activists in the United States. Khalil, a former Columbia University student, alleges that he and other non-citizen Palestinians were targeted for arrest, detention, and deportation as punishment for their support of Palestinian rights.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, names high-ranking federal officials and organizations like The Heritage Foundation, an ultra-conservative think tank. It details a pattern of "selection, public defamation, revocation of visas, arrest and transfer to ICE detention centers, followed by migration processes described as sham proceedings to ensure deportations." Khalil claims this operation involved Canary Mission and Betar, which have publicly confirmed their participation.

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The pattern consisted of selection, public defamation, revocation of visas, arrest and transfer to ICE detention centers, followed by migration processes described as sham proceedings to ensure deportations.

Khalil, who was released in June after over 100 days in a Louisiana immigration detention center, is suing under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. He argues his case constitutes a form of "bill of attainder," a punishment created by the government without judicial guarantees, which is prohibited by the Constitution. He seeks compensation for damages and a court judgment reflecting the defendants' actions. This follows a separate $20 million lawsuit Khalil filed against the Trump administration for unlawful detention and persecution related to his role in university protests against the war in Gaza.

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for arrest, detention and deportation, as punishment for their support for the rights of the Palestinian people.