Columbia University Anti-Israel Agitator Demands $20 Million From Trump Admin

Columbia University anti-Israel agitator Mahmoud Khalil filed a $20 million claim against President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday, claiming that he was “falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted, and smeared as an antisemite” when the U.S. State Department moved to deport him.

Khalil told The Associated Press that he could not forgive the Trump administration for the fact that he’d been detained hundreds of miles away while his wife gave birth to their son. “I cannot describe the pain of that night,” he said. The AP noted Khalil’s “anguish” but made no mention of the Jewish students who felt unsafe while he and his cohorts fomented a culture of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus and across the United States.

NEW: Mahmoud Khalil just filed a $20M damages claim against the Trump admin, alleging it terrorized his family and smeared him as an antisemite for political gain. He spoke with us about the filing, and the moments of bliss and anguish since his release https://t.co/3lh1Krdua1 pic.twitter.com/640Hbm4eCo

— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) July 10, 2025

Khalil’s deportation order is still in limbo as it moves through the American court system, but the claim filed on Thursday — according to The AP — “is a precursor to a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act” and “names the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the State Department” as codefendants.

The anti-Israel activist told The AP that the reason for his claim was to bring more attention to his cause, saying, “They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable. Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.”

Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that Khalil’s claim was “absurd,” and that he had participated in and led the “hateful behavior and rhetoric” that left so many Jewish students feeling unsafe.