Mahmoud Khalil and his legal team have announced a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump and private organisations alleging a conspiracy to suppress pro-Palestinian speech, a move that could be an important case at a time of severe government crackdowns on dissent.
The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in New York on Tuesday, points to senior members of the Trump administration, including presidential advisor Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem; as well as and the heads of the Heritage Foundation, Canary Mission and Betar, saying they have used doxxing and other forms of intimidation to target those critical of Israel.
“This is another step toward holding accountable everyone who targeted me and terrorised Americans. This case will expose the scheme that sought to criminalise the Palestine solidarity movement in the US,” said Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and a leader in pro-Palestinian campus protests , which began following the outbreak of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.
"Today, I sued the Heritage Foundation, Stephen Miller, a Columbia affiliate, and others under the KKK Act. I will not stop fighting until everyone who willingly contributed to my missing the birth of my son—and 104 days of my life—answers for it," he said in a public statement issued Tuesday.
"But this lawsuit is about far more than what was done to me. It is about a coordinated, ongoing plot to punish, silence, and intimidate everyone who dares to dissent and speak out for Palestinian liberation. We will hold them accountable," Khalil said.
The lawsuit refers to the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which prevented southern states from engaging in conspiracies with the KKK to prevent the goals of Reconstruction after the Civil War. The purpose of the law was to ensure that the government would not conspire with private agents to infringe on individuals' rights. In Khalil's case, he is pointing to present-day pro-Israel organisations.
"At that time, southern governments were in collaboration with the KKK. They were collaborating to crack down on dissidents. That’s what the government is doing now," David Frank, a professor of political communication and rhetoric at the University of Oregon, told The New Arab .
The lawsuit was filed by the Centre for Constitutional Rights, which has been representing Khalil in cases against the administration following his three-month detention in March 2025. The legal complaint goes into detail on the alleged conspiracy between the government and private pro-Israel groups. It appears to be an effort to halt the deportation orders against Khalil, which he says are motivated by his political speech.
The White House have said that Khalil fraudulently obtained his student visa by omitting information, which Khalil denies. They have not directly addressed this latest lawsuit.
For many pro-Palestinian student activists, some of whom have faced disciplinary action from their schools and from the Trump administration, Khalil’s case is an important step in resisting the government’s crackdown on dissent.
"For us student protesters, his bravery is contagious. It inspires other people to also rise up, despite relentless protest suppression. It is our duty to speak out," Amanda Campos, a recent graduate of Stanford University, told TNA .
"Palestinian protesters have been unjustly persecuted by the justice system. We'll continue speaking out," she said.