Mahmoud Khalil Sues Trump Administration and Pro‑Israel Groups Over Public‑Private Conspiracy

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, lodged a civil‑rights lawsuit in Manhattan federal court accusing senior officials of the Donald Trump administration and three right‑wing organizations of a coordinated campaign to silence pro‑Palestinian activism. The complaint names White House adviser Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security secretaries Markwayne Mullin and Kristi Noem, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and others, alongside the Heritage Foundation, the pro‑Israel groups Betar and Canary Mission.

Khalil alleges the defendants used a Heritage Foundation‑drafted “Project Esther” blueprint to identify non‑citizen Palestinian supporters, dox them, and trigger ICE arrests and deportation proceedings – actions he endured for 104 days in a Louisiana detention center after his March 2025 arrest. He argues the scheme violates the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, which bars government collusion with vigilante groups to deprive citizens of constitutional rights. The suit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction to halt the alleged conspiracy, and it is expected to proceed toward the U.S. Supreme Court.

At a news conference Khalil said, “This case is about exposing the network of organizations, political actors and institutions that work together to criminalize solidarity with Palestine,” adding, “If constitutional protections can be cast aside under political pressure today, they can be cast aside tomorrow against anyone.”