{
  "id": 7401392,
  "title": "Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University for allowing harassment that led to his ICE arrest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-university-for-allowing-harassment-that",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T21:10:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-university-allowing-harassment-led-his-ice-arrest"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University for allowing harassment that led to his ICE arrest Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 09/14/2026 - 19:46 The federal lawsuit says the institution failed to protect its Palestinian and pro-Palestine students amid increasing threats Former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil speaks to the media at a press conference in New York City, on 14…",
  "key_points": [
    "Palestinian Muslim student Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University.",
    "University alleged to have failed to protect Khalil from harassment.",
    "Khalil arrested by ICE in March 2025."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/7401392.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia for showing 'deliberate indifference' to harassment",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-for-showing-deliberate-indifference-to",
        "published": "2026-09-14T17:09:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/mahmoud-khalil-lawsuit-says-columbia-failed-to-protect-pro",
        "published": "2026-09-14T17:18:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over years of alleged anti-Palestinian discrimination",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-university-over-years-of-alleged-anti",
        "published": "2026-09-14T19:34:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia for alleged failure to protect pro-Palestinian students",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-for-alleged-failure-to-protect-pro",
        "published": "2026-09-14T19:34:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia, accusing it of 'indifference' to harassment of pro-Palestinian protesters",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-accusing-it-of-indifference-to",
        "published": "2026-09-14T20:31:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "‘Columbia did not care’: Mahmoud Khalil files discrimination lawsuit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/columbia-did-not-care-mahmoud-khalil-files-discrimination-lawsuit",
        "published": "2026-09-14T21:23:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia University failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/mahmoud-khalil-lawsuit-says-columbia-university-failed-to-protect-pro",
        "published": "2026-09-14T23:02:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}