# Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia over protest backlash

> Khalil says Columbia ignored harassment of pro-Palestinian students, while the university says it protects students from bias.
- Title: Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia over protest backlash · Fox News
- Summary: Khalil says Columbia ignored harassment of pro-Palestinian students, while the university says it protects students from bias. Khalil’s lawsuit argues…
- Keywords: mahmoud khalil, columbia university, palestine working group, pro-palestine protests, student harassment, immigration detention, ice, trump administration, new york city, louisiana detention center, ku klux klan act, news
- Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/media/anti-israel-activist-mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-university-citing-deliberate-indifference-palestinians
- Author: Lindsay Kornick
- Published: 2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mahmoud khalil, columbia university, palestine working group, pro-palestine protests, student harassment, immigration detention, ice, trump administration, new york city, louisiana detention center, ku klux klan act, news
## Khalil sues Columbia
Mahmoud Khalil filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, accusing the school of years of discrimination tied to his pro-Palestinian activism on campus.

> Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil announced on Monday that he sued Columbia University
## Bias claims widen
The complaint says Columbia allowed hostility toward students seen as pro-Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, non-citizens, immigrants, or connected to those groups.

> an environment of hostility towards students holding pro-Palestine views
## Working group named
Khalil, Mohammad Ibrahim Zubairi, and members of the SIPA Palestine Working Group say they faced repeated harassment because of advocacy and identity.

> severe, persistent, and coordinated harassment
## Detention enters lawsuit
The suit claims Columbia’s inaction helped lead to Khalil’s 2025 detention and attempted deportation by the Trump administration.

> directly led
## Columbia responds carefully
A Columbia spokesperson declined to discuss pending litigation and said the university is committed to a safe campus free from discrimination and harassment.

> Creating a campus environment where every member of our community feels welcome, supported, and safe is fundamental
## Arrest and release
Khalil was arrested at university-owned housing in New York City, transferred to Louisiana, and held for 104 days before a federal judge ordered his release.

> held for 104 days
## Another case continues
Khalil also sued Trump administration members and private pro-Israel groups, alleging a plot to arrest and deport activists under the Ku Klux Klan Act.

> intimidate and silence the growing movement for Palestinian rights
## Key takeaway

Khalil’s lawsuit argues Columbia’s response to campus backlash helped fuel the chain of events that led to his detention.