Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over years of alleged anti-Palestinian discrimination | Mahmoud Khalil | The Guardian  (mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit.html)   (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/manifest.json)  (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon.svg) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-512.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-360.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-240.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-120.png) (../../../../../static.guim.co.uk/images/favicon-32x32.ico) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://sourcepoint.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk) (https://hits-secure.theguardian.com) (https://interactive.guim.co.uk) (https://static.theguardian.com) (https://support.theguardian.com) (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-textegyptian/noalts-not-hinted/GuardianTextEgyptian-Regular.woff2)                                 (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/css/print.css)  (mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit.html#maincontent) Skip to main content (mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit.html#navigation) Skip to navigation (Close [ESC or Q])   Close dialogue  1 / 1   (Next image [→])   Next image  (Previous image [←])   Previous image  (Toggle caption [i])   Toggle caption                         (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions   (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters   (https://profile.theguardian.com/signin?INTCMP=DOTCOM_NEWHEADER_SIGNIN&ABCMP=ab-sign-in&componentEventParams=componentType%3Didentityauthentication%26componentId%3Dguardian_signin_header)   Sign in        US  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/us) US edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/uk) UK edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/au) Australia edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/eur) Europe edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/int) International edition      (https://www.theguardian.com/) The Guardian - Back to home             The Guardian    (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Show more    Hide expanded menu       News (https://www.theguardian.com/) View all News  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World news  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness      Opinion (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) View all Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial) The Guardian view  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/columnists) Columnists  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters) Letters  (https://www.theguardian.com/type/video+tone/comment) Opinion videos  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/cartoons) Cartoons      Sport (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) View all Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nfl) NFL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/tennis) Tennis  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/mlb) MLB  (https://www.theguardian.com/football/mls) MLS  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nba) NBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/wnba) WNBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nhl) NHL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/formulaone) F1  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/golf) Golf      Culture (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) View all Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/film) Film  (https://www.theguardian.com/books) Books  (https://www.theguardian.com/music) Music  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign) Art & design  (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio) TV & radio  (https://www.theguardian.com/stage) Stage  (https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera) Classical  (https://www.theguardian.com/games) Games  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/series/design-a-better-world) Design a better world      Lifestyle (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) View all Lifestyle  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness  (https://www.theguardian.com/fashion) Fashion  (https://www.theguardian.com/food) Food  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/recipes) Recipes  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/love-and-sex) Love & sex  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/home-and-garden) Home & garden  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/health-and-wellbeing) Health & fitness  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/family) Family  (https://www.theguardian.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.theguardian.com/money) Money    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)      (http://https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.theguardian.com?INTCMP=Some(side_menu_support)&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22:%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22,%22componentType%22:%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22,%22componentId%22:%22side_menu_support%22%7D) Support us  (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://app.adjust.com/1hskf6nd?adgroup=USHeader) Download the app   (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us  (https://app.adjust.com/16xt6hai) The Guardian app  (https://www.theguardian.com/video) Video  (https://www.theguardian.com/podcasts) Podcasts  (https://www.theguardian.com/inpictures) Pictures  (https://www.theguardian.com/insidetheguardian) Inside the Guardian  (https://www.theguardian.com/weekly?INTCMP=gdnwb_mawns_editorial_gweekly_GW_TopNav_US) Guardian Weekly  (https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords) Crosswords  (https://www.wordiply.com) Wordiply  (https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/series/corrections-and-clarifications) Corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tips    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)   (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us         (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness                      (a man holdig a microphone)          Mahmoud Khalil outside Columbia University in New York, New York, on 14 September 2026. Photograph: Sarah Yenesel/EPA     (mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       Mahmoud Khalil outside Columbia University in New York, New York, on 14 September 2026. Photograph: Sarah Yenesel/EPA       (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/mahmoud-khalil) Mahmoud Khalil     Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over years of alleged anti-Palestinian discrimination   Lawsuit accuses university of ‘deliberate indifference’ and failure to respond to ‘persistent and coordinated harassment’         (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/alice-speri) Alice Speri   Mon 14 Sep 2026 15.34 EDT  Last modified on Mon 14 Sep 2026 16.20 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over years of alleged anti-Palestinian discrimination&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/14/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/mahmoud-khalil) Mahmoud Khalil announced on Monday that he’s sued (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/columbia-university) Columbia University , accusing the New York City school he attended of a years-long history of anti-Palestinian discrimination, indifference to harassment, and retaliation. Khalil, a US green card holder of Palestinian descent, was a graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) when he was arrested at his university apartment by federal immigration agents in March 2025, the first of (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/17/trump-effort-deport-pro-palestinian-students) a number of foreign nationals that the Trump administration has detained and sought to deport over their pro-Palestinian advocacy.  In a 60-page complaint filed in the southern district of (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/new-york) New York , Khalil and members of the SIPA’s Palestine Working Group have now accused the university, its board, and the dean of the school, Keren Yarhi-Milo, of “deliberate indifference” and failure to respond to “severe, persistent, and coordinated harassment” directed towards him and other students who had been outspoken about Palestinian rights. Khalil, who (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/10/mahmoud-kahlil-letter-to-newborn-son) missed the birth of his first son while in detention, was released in June 2025 but is continuing to fight the administration’s efforts to deport him – a protracted legal battle that is expected to ultimately be decided by the (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/22/mahmoud-khalil-supreme-court-appeal-deportation) US supreme court . Still, Khalil has continued to speak out, both about Palestinian rights and about free speech in the US. In July, (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/mahmoud-khalil-lawsuit) he sued the Trump administration and several pro-Israel groups, accusing them of conspiring to target him and others as punishment for their advocacy. Separately, he has filed a (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/mahmoud-khalil-trump-ice-damages) $20m false imprisonment and malicious prosecution case against the administration and (https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/mahmoud-khalil-sues-trump-administration-info-its-collusion-anti) sued them for records of collusion with anti-Palestinian doxxing groups including Canary Mission. In an earlier lawsuit filed in March 2025 he also sought to stop Columbia from releasing student disciplinary records to the House committee on education and the workforce, which has led the charge against universities in the aftermath of Israel’s war in Gaza and widespread campus protests in support of Palestinian rights. “Columbia laid the groundwork for my targeting by the Trump administration through its deliberate indifference and discrimination aimed at intimidating Palestinian students,” Khalil wrote in a (https://x.com/mahmoudkhalel/status/2099536913707221245) statement announcing the lawsuit. “For over two years, we pleaded with Columbia. Columbia did not care. Our safety and our wellbeing did not serve the ideological project its Board of Trustees was protecting, so they traded us away.” Khalil also warned of more lawsuits to come. “Next, I will turn to the hateful individuals at Columbia who were also responsible for what we endured,” he wrote. A spokesperson for the university declined to comment on pending litigation but said that “Columbia is committed to protecting our community from discrimination and harassment, and responding promptly and appropriately when concerns arise.” Columbia students were the first to erect pro-Palestinian encampments on campus in the spring of 2024, inspiring dozens more across the country. The university, (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/29/columbia-middle-east-department-trump-edward-said) once home to cutting-edge scholarship about Palestine, also became the first to be targeted by the Trump administration as part of its ongoing effort to (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/university-anitisemitism-investigations) exploit antisemitism accusations to bend universities to its agenda. As tensions flared on campus after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, students repeatedly sought the administration’s support to protect them from doxing campaigns, the complaint alleges. Many had their photos, names, and personal information posted online, as well as on mobile billboard trucks. Mohammed Ibrahim Zubairi, a Columbia graduate and former president of the Palestine Working Group who is also a named plaintiff in the lawsuit, told the Guardian that the litigation is an effort to “force a reckoning within these institutions, so that they may recognize they have ended up on the wrong side of history”. “For me, this case is about the environment in which the hostility that I and other pro-Palestinian students experienced was able to persist,” echoed Bhavana Bellamkonda, another plaintiff. (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/mahmoud-khalil-lawsuit)  Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump officials and pro-Israel groups over ‘conspiracy’ to target him     Read more        “What we are asking for is not special treatment,” she told the Guardian. “We are asking for the same protections that Columbia students are entitled to under state and federal law, and that Columbia itself has represented that it provides to its tuition-paying students.” Khalil was well known to university administrators because of his efforts to mediate between student protesters and school officials. In the months leading up to his detention, he reported threats, harassment, and doxing, including attacks targeting his immigration status. On 7 March 2025, a day before his arrest, he emailed Columbia’s then interim president, Katrina Armstrong, and other administrators, urging them to take immediate action to protect international students. “What (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/mahmoud-khalil) Mahmoud Khalil endured for speaking up against the genocide in Gaza was unconscionable. And much of that was at the hands of or enabled by Columbia,” Brittany Finley, one of his attorneys, wrote in a press release. “Columbia knew what was happening on its campus, and it chose indifference over action.” According to the complaint, rather than address Khalil’s and other students’ concerns, Columbia subjected students to disciplinary proceedings and restrictions, including suspending SIPA’s Palestine Working Group in May 2025 – a suspension that remains in effect. Other pro-Palestinians students have also sued Columbia over its alleged failure to protect them from a hostile campus environment. “This didn’t begin with me, nor does it end with me,” Khalil said. “With this lawsuit, we hope to ensure that future generations of Columbia students never have to face this fight.”         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/mahmoud-khalil) Mahmoud Khalil  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/columbia-university) Columbia University  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-universities) US universities  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/israel-hamas-war) Israel-Gaza war  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/new-york) New York  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration) Trump administration  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over years of alleged anti-Palestinian discrimination&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/14/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fsep%2F14%2Fmahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit&type=article&internalpagecode=us-news/2026/sep/14/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                            Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness       (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning (https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/sep/17/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed) Sign up for our email     (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us) About us  (https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre) Help  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections) Complaints & corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us/contact) Contact us  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tip us off  (https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop) SecureDrop  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy) Privacy policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies) Cookie policy  (https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2026/07/22/STL_Global_Tax_Strategy_for_the_year_to_31_March_2027.pdf) Tax strategy  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service) Terms & conditions   (https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a) All topics  (https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors) All writers  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_US) Newsletters  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital newspaper archive  (https://bsky.app/profile/us.theguardian.com) Bluesky  (https://www.facebook.com/theguardian) Facebook  (https://www.instagram.com/guardian) Instagram  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian) LinkedIn  (https://www.threads.com/@guardian_us) Threads  (https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian) TikTok  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian) YouTube   (https://usadvertising.theguardian.com) Advertise with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs-us) Guardian Labs  (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://workwithus.theguardian.com/) Work with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help) Accessibility settings         (mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-lawsuit.html#top) Back to top      © 2026Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.(dcr)