Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and legal permanent U.S. resident, filed a lawsuit on July 14, 2026, in Manhattan federal court against senior Trump administration officials and pro-Israel groups Betar, Canary Mission, and the Heritage Foundation [1, 2, 3].
The lawsuit alleges a coordinated conspiracy to target, punish, silence, and intimidate supporters of Palestinian rights. It accuses the defendants of efforts to deport Khalil as part of this campaign [1, 2, 3]. Khalil said, "It’s about exposing the network of organisations, political actors, and institutions that work together to criminalise solidarity with Palestine and to make an example of those who refuse to stay silent" [3].
Named defendants include White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, among others [1, 3].
The Heritage Foundation is accused of leading "Project Esther," a blueprint for a public-private effort to suppress the pro-Palestinian movement by targeting prominent non-citizens [1, 3]. Pro-Israel groups Betar and Canary Mission allegedly collaborated with the Trump administration to identify and surveil targets, submitting thousands of names [1, 3].
Khalil was arrested on March 8, 2025, by ICE agents at his Columbia University apartment and detained for 104 days in Louisiana immigration custody before a federal court ordered his release [2, 3]. He is currently fighting deportation proceedings that have progressed rapidly through immigration courts and could reach the U.S. Supreme Court [2, 3]. Khalil denies accusations of antisemitism, stating his activism opposes U.S. funding of weapons sales to Israel: "My beliefs are not wanting my tax money or tuition going toward investments in weapons manufacturers for a genocide. It’s as simple as that" [2].
