Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration, demanding the release of communications between federal agencies and anti-Palestinian organizations that allegedly led to his arrest in March 2025. Khalil, a green-card holder married to a U.S. citizen, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a government crackdown on alleged antisemitism across U.S. campuses. His arrest followed claims by groups like Canary Mission and Betar USA, which boasted of sharing information on pro-Palestinian activists with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Khalil accused these organizations of orchestrating a smear campaign to silence his advocacy against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The lawsuit was filed after the Trump administration ignored Khalil’s Freedom of Information Act request for related documents. During a trial, an ICE official revealed that the agency reviewed over 5,000 names provided by Canary Mission, a site accused of blacklisting pro-Palestinian voices. Khalil, who was detained in Louisiana for three months, was denied the chance to attend the birth of his child. A federal judge later ruled his detention unconstitutional, but the Trump administration attempted to deport him, alleging omissions on his green card application. Khalil is now seeking $20 million in damages and full transparency regarding the alleged collusion between federal agencies and anti-Palestinian groups.
Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump administration to release communication with anti-Palestinian groups
