Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Muslim student at Columbia University, has filed a federal lawsuit against the institution alleging that the university failed to protect him from harassment and eventually led to his arrest by US immigration agents. The lawsuit, filed on September 14, 2026, claims that Columbia University showed deliberate indifference towards and failure to respond to severe, persistent, and coordinated harassment directed towards Khalil and other pro-Palestine students.

Khalil is joined in the lawsuit by the Palestine Working Group (PWG), a student-led organization formed within the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia.

The harassment allegedly involved discrimination, harassment, and threats against Khalil and other Palestinian and pro-Palestine students due to their pro-Palestine advocacy, perceived shared ancestry, national origin, and immigration status. Khalil, who holds an Algerian passport, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March 2025 under the Trump administration's pledge to root out anti-Israel rhetoric among non-citizens.

The lawsuit specifically names the Columbia Board of Trustees and SIPA Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo as defendants.