Why Is This Palestinian Activist Suing Donald Trump’s Administration For $20 Million?

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil , who was recently released from ICE detention, has now taken legal action against the President Donald Trump administration, seeking $20 million in damages.

Khalil’s legal team filed the claim on Thursday, accusing the administration of false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and branding him an “antisemite” in an attempt to deport him over his prominent role in campus protests.

Mahmoud Khalil Faces Deportation

The claim filed by Khalil names the Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the State Department. Claim is a required preliminary step before filing a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act, according to a report by the Associated Press.

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As Khalil takes a legal move comes against the Trump adminstration, the 30-year-old recent graduate of Columbia University, continues to face deportation proceedings currently making their way through the US immigration court system.

Speaking to reporters, Khalil said that his legal action is intended to send a clear message as the adminstration ‘is abusing power’. 

“They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable,” he said, as quoted by AP. “Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.”

Mahmoud Khalil To Share Settlement Money With Pro-Palestine Voices

Khalil further stated that if he receives any settlement money, he plans to share it with others who were also targeted in what he described as Trump’s “failed” effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices on US campuses. In the absence of a financial settlement, he said he would also consider an official apology and policy changes on deportations acceptable outcomes.

In response, the Department of Homeland Security dismissed Khalil’s claim. Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the department, described the allegations as “absurd” and accused Khalil of engaging in “hateful behaviour and rhetoric” that allegedly put Jewish students at risk, AP reported.

Mahmoud Khalil Describes His Arrest as ‘Kidnapping’

Khalil’s legal filing outlines a sequence of events that began on the night of March 8. He said he was returning home from dinner with his wife, Noor Abdalla, when he was suddenly detained by plainclothes federal agents. The agents, according to Khalil, did not present a warrant and appeared surprised to discover that he held legal U.S. permanent resident status.

Following his arrest, Khalil was transported overnight to an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana. The location, his legal team claims, was “deliberately concealed” from both his family and his attorneys.

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